Will massive crowds disrupt cell service, emergency alerts during the eclipse?
Large crowds in the path of the total solar eclipse April 8th could put a strain on cell service
With the potential for massive crowds converging on cities like Niagara Falls for the total solar eclipse, there’s been some concern about the potential for cell phone disruption.
In New York State, police are warning that infrastructure could be strained, citing that in 2017, populations increased by 100 percent before and during the eclipse.
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Cam Gordon, Director for Media Relations with Rogers Communications Inc., released a statement saying they are bringing in portable mobile towers to Niagara Falls and some other key locations. He also says that tech crews will be pausing any work on that day.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime moment for many Canadians and we are getting ready to handle the potential increase in wireless traffic in communities along the path of totality,” he said in a statement.
“We have also conducted network health checks, completed targeted upgrades and are optimizing sites to add more capacity.”
Other major Canadian telecommunication companies, such as Bell Canada Enterprises Inc., and Telus Corp., say they're also prepared to monitor network performance throughout Monday.
Emergency Alerts
Then there is the question of the Alert Ready program. If an emergency happens, will people’s phones go off?
“If an alert is sent by the authorities, the alert uses a different channel than what people would normally use for receiving a phone call, or, let's say, doing some text messages or surfing the internet," explains Martin Bélanger, Director of Public Alerting at Pelmorex Corp. "So the fact that the alerts are distributed to mobile phones using a totally separate channel ensures that if there's an alert, it will be a mass broadcast to all the phones, and this way, we can ensure that everyone in the area will receive the critical message on their device.”
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People are being encouraged to have their devices fully charged in addition to having a full tank of gas, water, and snacks if they are planning on being in Niagara or one of the other prime viewing areas for the eclipse on Monday, April 8th.
For the latest solar eclipse news, visit The Weather Network's comprehensive hub page.
WATCH BELOW: Niagara Falls declares state of emergency ahead of solar eclipse
With files from The Canadian Press
