Katrina outages reveal phone system quirks

... The storm also revealed some quirks of how the telephone system works: Some Gulf Coast residents who had fled far away before the storm hit were finding that their cell phones could make calls but not receive them. The Associated Press reports.

"Wireless industry experts said the problem revolves around basic network architecture.

"Usually, when cell users take their phones outside their local area code, the wireless network checks back with a network computer in the home market to verify account information and let the service provider know where to route calls.

With communications to the home switch in New Orleans and nearby area codes cut off by the storm, cellular operators quickly made arrangements on their networks and with one another to automatically connect any calls dialed from one of those phones.

Incoming calls, however, can present a problem because the phone network can't determine where to route those calls without first checking in with the New Orleans switch to find out where the cell user is located."

Picture from The New York Times

emily | 8:59 AM | News, Buzz |
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