Will the Solar Eclipse Affect Cell Service?

From New York to Indiana, state officials across the country are warning of potential cell phone outages during the day of the total solar eclipse on April 8, as millions of people flock to the path of totality to witness—and post— the celestial event.  Cell service can be disrupted when a large number of people overload the system with calls, messages, and other data-sucking activities— a situation that might arise in areas along the path of totality. [time-brightcove not-tgx=”true”] “​​A typical overload situation, such as some experience at a major football game, major sporting event or pop concert, is likely to occur in many places where the network is not provisioned for such an unusually large crowd,” Theodore Rappaport, director of NYU Wireless, a multidisciplinary research center focused on the future of wireless communications and applications, says in an email.  Read More: How to Use Your Smartphone to Take Photos of the Solar Eclipse Though wireless companies have spent the past few years upgrading their wireless networks, rural areas are still particularly vulnerable to disruptions, Rappaport says, as the grid might not be equipped to handle the sudden influx of tourists. “Imagine a rural cellular system which is usually designed for 1,000 customers. Now, if 10,000 customers show up in the particular rural location, it is likely the much greater customer base will have difficulty ac...
Source: TIME: Science - Category: Science Authors: Tags: Uncategorized Explainer News Desk Solar Eclipse 2024 Source Type: news