So, anyone in NYC able to make a call?

Phillipe wrote:

> A major blackout happens once ever 25 years. You really want Sprint (and
> other cell companies) to have capacity for 100% of users to use the
> system simultaneously? You willing to pay five times as much for that
> ability??

The same is true of ALL utilities, actually. Landline phones, internet
access, and yes, even power companies (as we are finding out) have NEVER
designed their networks and grids such that it can withstand all of its
customers using the service at 100% of their alloted capacity. All
such services were designed on the principle that not everyone would use
the serivce at once, and that a limited amount of capacity can be shared
among a large number of users that only use the service intermittently
and (usually) at different times.

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Paul Kim wrote:

>>Bob::thinking that cell shrinkage right now means no calls unless you are
>>within 10 feet of a tower::
>
>
> So, do all cell towers have backup generators? Or how are they powered?


No, some cell towers have generators. Many others have battery power
that runs them temporarily. And typically, "non-critical" microcells
(like at stadiums, malls and such) will probably not have a backup.


> Also, how are phone networks powered? Why didn't they go down?

Actually, they did go down in some places. Here in central jersey, the
cells sites worked, but no calls from ANY carrier (including landline
phones) could be processed because the verizon central office in my town
either had no backup power, or the backup system failed. When the power
went out, any outgoing and most incoming calls would go to this central
office and hit a void, resulting in either a fast busy or just plain
dead air. Even when power was restored a few minutes after the blackout
started (we have a small regional power company here that managed to
recover quickly), that local switch still wasn't processing calls for at
least an hour and a half later.

But yes, landline phone networks are powered similarly: larger call
routing facilities on generators, smaller outfits on battery power.
They just have a longer backup capacity in most cases.

>The reason cell companies can come
>close to breaking even is they build caacity that can handle 20% of
>users making calls in case of emergency.
>________________
>
>if this is accurate, it's a poor model. i live in manhattan/nyc....and
>describe sprint's service during the black out along the lines of the
>previous
>nyc dweller.....and all things considered....it was "reasonable".

Its like a gym membership. At any given time a gym only has a small percentage
of its members there using the equiment. If all of its members showed up at
once to work out there's no way the gym can handle it. Same thing with cell
phones. Should a gym be forced to quadruple its size to guarantee access for
members who most likely will never/rarely show up all at the same time?

I was in Manhattan during the blackout. My cell phone (Startac) was useless
for the first hour but then after that I was able to make a few calls, although
I had to dial several times. Overall Sprint wasn't as bad as I thought it
would be. I had some dropped calls and in Brooklyn I had no signal in a place
that I usually have a strong signal.