Happy New Year, your text message has failed
NEW YORK (AP) - January 4, 2008 In Los Angeles, a half-dozen New Year's text messages bounced
back to Reggie Cameron on Wednesday, more than 24 hours after he
thought he sent them out.
In fact, so many people tried to send text messages on New
Year's Eve that networks got jam-packed and many of the missives
arrived hours later - or not at all.
"Think of any traffic artery during rush hour: You have a large
number of people who are trying to access it at the same time,"
said Joe Farren, assistant vice president of public affairs for
CTIA-The Wireless Association, a wireless industry group. "It's
really no different with regard to wireless networks."
Millions and millions of messages did get through New Year's
Eve, and a minor delay in a holiday wish is hardly the end of the
world. But there have been multiple occasions in recent years when
getting in touch with loved ones was more vital - the Sept. 11
attacks, the 2003 blackout, Hurricane Katrina.
"What happens where there is an emergency?" asked Scott
Midkiff, professor of electrical and computer engineering at
Virginia Tech. "This has been a big problem with the voice
cellular system. It will probably become more of a problem with
text messaging."
The cell phone carriers say they are working to expand their
systems' capacity. Jeffrey Nelson, spokesman for Verizon Wireless,
said the company invests almost $6 billion annually in the wireless
network.
But the number of cell phone subscribers in the U.S. nearly
doubled between the end of 2001 and the end of 2006, growing from
128 million to 233 million users, Farren said.
Analysts said last month that Americans may have spent more in
2007 for the first time on their cell phones than on land lines and
pay phones. And people are using their cell phones in growing ways
- for text messages, video messages, e-mail and Web access.
In an emergency, it could be a concern, Cameron said.
"I didn't have a connection using cell phones for several days,
and that was really frightening," he said of living in New York
after the Sept. 11 attacks. "I didn't talk to my parents for a
week and a half."
"It's definitely a really big question mark," said Rajan Shah,
who sent his New Year's text messages before the clock struck
midnight to beat the rush. "It really makes you rethink technology
and whether we are able to be connected through a global
catastrophe."
Text messages already use a different transmission system from
cell phone calls. There may be a way to differentiate among types
of information or to create a separate system for people to use in
emergencies.
Farren said emergency networks in place and now being expanded
allow emergency service personnel to maintain voice cell phone
service in times of need.
But that doesn't help average Joe trying to find Mrs. Joe.
The next step may be some consumer education, Farren said.
"In an emergency situation, you really should stay off your
phone" if possible, he said.
Emergencies by definition are so unusual that building a full
backup network could be cost-prohibitive, Farren said.
"If you're asking everyone to spends billions to billions to
build a secondary network, someone's got to pay for it," Farren
said.
But the wireless field is constantly changing, he noted. "As
innovation continues, I'm sure some of these questions will be
addressed."
It's not a strict technology issue, Midkiff said.
"It's people having to think a little bit differently about how
you communicate," he said. "Maybe there's a need for some
different models."