Ohio eclipse: Will cellphone signals be affected?
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Both a local astronomer and national cellphone companies shared perspectives on what could happen with cellular coverage during the coming eclipse. A wide band running from the northeast portion of Ohio to the western region will be in the path of totality, or where the sun will be 100% blocked by […] A wide band from the northeast portion of Ohio to the western region will be in the path of totality, where the sun will be 100% blocked by the moon. This area includes much of central Ohio, but excludes Columbus' neighboring towns like Dublin and Hilliard. Major interest in the eclipse could lead to significant congestion, which is usually a precursor to cellphone problems. However, Don Stevens, director of the Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University, believes that the only issue will be the increase in traffic from people trying to livestream, upload videos and pictures and use online. Verizon, another major carrier, also commented on the situation, stating its advanced network is so advanced that it won't need to change.
Published : a month ago by Mark Feuerborn in Science
COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Both a local astronomer and national cellphone companies shared perspectives on what could happen with cellular coverage during the coming eclipse.
A wide band running from the northeast portion of Ohio to the western region will be in the path of totality, or where the sun will be 100% blocked by the moon on Monday. It will reveal phenomena like the solar corona and stars and planets visible in the daytime. Everyone outside this coverage area, which includes much of central Ohio, will have a different view of the obstruction. Columbus’ neighboring towns like Dublin and Hilliard, however, are within the projected path of totality.
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Major interest in the eclipse could see large groups of people converging on places in the path of totality. This is commonly a precursor to cellphone problems, according to the Federal Communications Commission. And with this in mind, Don Stevens, director of the Perkins Observatory at Ohio Wesleyan University, said that it’s not the eclipse that would have any impact on connectivity.
“There’s no mysterious eclipse rays or beams or anything like that that’s going to occur that comes from this,” Stevens said. “The only thing that’s going to disrupt cellphone tower service is the amount of traffic, of people trying to livestream, upload videos and pictures and selfies and access all kinds of things online.”
Stevens speculated that because of the potential for congestion, major network providers may deploy mobile cellphone towers like the ones used during natural disasters where coverage has been impacted. But Verizon in particular told NBC4 that its network has become so advanced that it won’t need to do anything like that.
“In areas where people may gather to experience this event, we feel confident the additional capacity we have layered into the network over the past few years will accommodate any increases in data usage, however as requests for supplemental capacity come to us, we are assessing the needs,” a Verizon communications manager wrote.
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Another major carrier, AT&T, told NBC4 it doesn’t expect serious issues thanks to the widespread adoption of 5G cellular technology.
“Our network has drastically changed since the last solar eclipse in 2017,” AT&T’s Phil Hayes said. “Our higher-speed mid-band 5G+ spectrum alone covers more than 210 million people. Our bandwidth has increased significantly in the last few years, providing for an improved experience on our network as a result.”
AT&T also operates a public safety network called FirstNet specifically intended for emergency responders, which allows them to communicate on separate channels from civilian customers at no extra charge.
Stevens added that the Perkins Observatory now has a team at Ohio Wesleyan’s Hamilton-Williams Campus Center giving away eclipse glasses. They’re limited to one pair free per visitor, and $1 for additional pairs. No appointment is required to obtain the glasses from the campus.
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