Most people who own a cell phone believe that during an emergency situation they could use that phone to call for help. Well there’s a good chance that it may not. In fact, to prove this point, the cell phone industry cannot even handle the coming presidential inauguration.
The cellphone industry, fearful that people will overwhelm their networks, have actually asked people to limit their cell phone calls, texts, and to stop sending photos tomorrow. They fear that the massive number of calls being made during the inauguration will overwhelm their networks.
So if the cell companies can’t handle something that they’ve known was coming for months, how can people depend on their cell phones during a real emergency?
Industry experts warn that the networks are very unreliable, and are not set up to handle a large number of calls that could happen during an emergency. In fact, many people had problems calling out during events like Katrina, and Hurricane Rita. Industry insiders say, “The networks just aren’t set up to work the way people think they will.”
