[Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings

[Brian Rokus]

 It turns out there IS a procedure for shutting down cell networks, even on a large-scale: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2013/04/cellphones_after_boston_marathon_bombing_can_the_government_shut_down_towers.html
 > From: onecharliesix at verizon.net
> To: brucebharper at gmail.com; scan-dc at mailman.qth.net
> Date: Tue, 16 Apr 2013 20:07:34 -0400
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings
> 
>    I am glad some one brought this up and figured it out. As much as the 
> media wants to
> believe it is like a television show or movie, there is no way any cell 
> company would be
> able to be that cognitive and have the capability to "shut down" an entire 
> city. Its just amazing
> that in today's media ...there is no fact checking any more..Oh wait-- it 
> was on Twitter and Facebook.
> It must be true...Just a case of overload within the site.
> Jeff    Boston
> 
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Bruce Harper" <brucebharper at gmail.com>
> Sent: Tuesday, April 16, 2013 3:51 PM
> To: "Scan DC" <scan-dc at mailman.qth.net>
> Subject: Re: [Scan-DC] Carriers Deny Cell Shutdown Following Boston Bombings
> 
> > On Tue, Apr 16, 2013 at 2:51 PM, Cathy wrote:
> >
> >
> > I have a brother who lives a half mile south of the bombing location in
> >> Boston.  He was able to call me on his cell phone at 3:21, about 30 
> >> minutes
> >> after the explosions.  He said he had been trying before that but 
> >> couldn't
> >> make a call.  Sounds to me like overloaded towers more than any attempt 
> >> to
> >> suppress calling.
> >>
> >
> > Been there, have seen that, six years ago today when it all hit the fan
> > here at Virginia Tech. Once the police secured Norris Hall and rescue
> > squads entered the building, radio traffic was in the open. But when
> > someone doing triage reported "30 black" further discussions went to cell
> > phone -- for a short while. The landlines and cell services couldn't 
> > handle
> > the volume of traffic that hit all at once as people on campus called (or
> > tried to) to let parents and family know they were OK and worried parents
> > called their children to check on their status. This was before text
> > messaging was the more prevalent way to communicate. It was a number of
> > hours before things quieted down enough for people to be able to
> > communicate again. One of the more chilling things that the first
> > responders don't talk much about was working through the aftermath and
> > hearing the repeated ringing of cell phones from backpacks left behind.
> >
> > Bruce in Blacksburg
>  
> 
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