Priority access may get renewed focus with city blackouts.

Publication: RCR Wireless News

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COPYRIGHT 2003 Crain Communications, Inc.

Byline: EMILY MOTSAY

Heavy call volumes on wireless networks frustrated end users and caused cell sites operating on backup generators and batteries to quickly falter during the massive power outage that crippled the northeastern United States late last week.

Given the situation, even the best system would have been unable to perform optimally, said Michael Grossi, a principle analyst with Adventis Group, who compared the massive blackout to a natural disaster.

Despite the fact that generators initially kept wireless facilities-including cell sites, base stations and call centers-working, heavy call volumes led the networks to reach capacity, which caused service to be blocked and calls to be dropped in the...

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