Cingular Network Congestion Update - 5 p.m., Sept. 18, 2001

Sept. 21, 2001
Since the reopening of business in the financial district in lower Manhattan, the Cingular Interactive data network continues to provide good coverage in that entire area. Though seven base stations near ground zero still lack power and/or telephone links, fully functional base stations in northern New Jersey and Brooklyn are providing coverage that is more than sufficient for emergency teams and businesses that have been using Cingular service in the area since the disaster.

Since the reopening of business in the financial district in lower Manhattan, the Cingular Interactive data network continues to provide good coverage in that entire area. Though seven base stations near ground zero still lack power and/or telephone links, fully functional base stations in northern New Jersey and Brooklyn are providing coverage that is more than sufficient for emergency teams and businesses that have been using Cingular service in the area since the disaster.

Cingular is increasing network capacity by 10-20 percent around the nation's major airports to handle expected higher call volumes due to longer wait times for airport check-in and security. Wireless traffic across Cingular's network is back to normal levels across the nation, including the New Jersey and Washington D.C. areas.

Information regarding the Cingular network during the crisis:

  • Cingular Wireless experienced increased traffic levels on its wireless network during the height of the crisis Tuesday. Cingular's network experienced NO OUTAGES. As of late afternoon on Tuesday, the network traffic volumes had returned to normal across the nation, except in the D.C. and New Jersey markets.

  • The most congestion Cingular's network experienced was in the DC and New Jersey markets. In the Piscataway, NJ, mobile telephone switching office, which serves New Jersey and greater New York areas, Cingular's network experienced a 1000% increase in attempts to use the network, between 10-11 am today. Also between 10 and 11 am in the Washington, DC area, there was a 400% increase in attempts to use the network (an "attempt" is whenever a caller hits the "send" button to initiate a call, whether or not the call actually goes through or is completed).

  • The rest of Cingular's network nationwide experienced a 200-250% increase in attempts on the network during the height of the crisis. Blocking occurred in long distance and sporadically throughout the network during that time.

  • Of the 60 cell sites for the Cingular Interactive network based in Manhattan, only one went down. It is backed up by others in the area, so there were no outages.

  • Cingular retail stores and offices remained open throughout the day.

  • There were no incidents reported at any Cingular facilities.

  • Cingular Wireless has a critical communications role during times of crisis and our personnel worked tirelessly to maintain the network in order to provide these vital services.

Cingular will continue to monitor and maintain the network in order to facilitate our customers' calls.

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