Millions of tourists are expected to flock to the path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse – and experts warn the influx could disrupt cellular activity.
Up to a million people are planned for Texas, 500,000 in Indiana and Ohio and nearly 400,000 people could travel to New York – and state officials fear that the increase in request does not cause connection delays or call interruptions.
To ease the burden on U.S. cities, T-Mobile is rolling out additional cell sites that will standby in areas with high tourist traffic.
And in a small Ohio town that could accommodate 250,000 visitors, Verizon is installing a portable tower in anticipation of the cosmic event.
Up to a million people are planned for Texas, 500,000 in Indiana and Ohio and almost 400,000 people could travel to New York – and US network providers fear the increase in demand does not cause connection delays or call drops.
Full sun occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, making the exterior briefly dark during the day.
Rebecca Owens, director of the Richland County Emergency Management Authority (EMA), told the Richland Spring: “The cell phone (reception) will be very, very basic.
“There will be a lot of connectivity issues and that sort of thing.”
Full sun occurs when the moon completely blocks the face of the sun, briefly darkening the exterior during the day.
The spectacle will be viewed by approximately 32 million people along a narrow path across North and Central America.
It will be the first total solar eclipse visible anywhere in the world since December 2021, and the first seen from the United States since August 2017.
Regardless of where you are in the path of totality, the total eclipse should be visible for about four minutes.
AT&T analyzed network traffic during the 2027 eclipse in the United States, revealing a more than double peak in SMS activity during the 24 hours of the eclipse’s totality path compared to the previous Monday.
The data showed a 40 percent increase in text messages and a 15 percent increase in voice calls during those 24 hours.
Ulf Ewaldsson, President of Technology at T-Mobile, said: “T-Mobile is working hand-in-hand with state and local authorities to address the expected increase in network traffic to ensure seamless connectivity for everyone.
Millions of tourists are expected to flock to the path of totality during the April 8 solar eclipse – and experts warn the influx could disrupt cellular activity.
To ease the burden on U.S. cities, T-Mobile is rolling out additional cell sites that will standby in areas with high tourist traffic
Arkansas is on the path to totality, where state officials are preparing for a tourism boom that could see its current population of three million double.
Rep. Davis Whitaker, of Fayetteville, said at a legislative meeting in December: “I’m concerned about cellular communication.
“Are the state’s cell phone providers part of this plan?” »
AR Division of Emergency Management Director AJ Gary told council members that continuity of communications will be one of the main challenges during the eclipse.
“Mobile phone companies are involved in communications. We can also introduce additional wheeled cells to increase this capacity,” said Gary.
In northern Maine, Franklin County is also leading discussions to prepare for limited or no smartphone service, where tens of thousands of visitors are expected, amid concerns that “cell coverage will be scarce as it is.”
Franklin County Emergency Services Coordinator Rob Demarse told the Adirondack Daily Enterprise that the city is working with the Department of Homeland Security to map all routes for cellular coverage.
And in Texas, which is expected to welcome more than a million people overseas, officials are advising people to turn on Wi-Fi calling if service is interrupted.
The Lone Star State could also see a significant drop in solar production.
Hugh Cutcher, data scientist for solar forecaster Solcast, said: “Individual assets will lose up to 16% of their daily irradiation.
He also predicted there would be an overall loss of 11.7 percent of the state’s total daily solar production.
As with any eclipse, it is important not to look directly at the sun with the naked eye while the event is occurring, even with sunglasses, binoculars, or a telescope.
A simple pinhole projector, solar eclipse viewing glasses, which can be purchased online, or special solar filters are much safer.