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| *~ This is a paper about the telecommunications breakdown that occurred on 9/11. It's actually not one that I was assigned. I just decided to write a little bit as I was working in Albuquerque, NM - where Bugs Bunny should have made a left. It's written in the form of an analytical business paper, which explains the sections and headings. It doesn't have a title, though, simply because I never needed to turn it in to any professor. Enjoy! ~* |
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| Background and Purpose |
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| ����������� On September 11th, 2001, telephone traffic more than doubled rendering cell phone users, desperate to get in contact with loved ones, helpless (Adamy CC).� The World Trade Center was not only the heart of business in lower Manhattan, but also the main hub for many cellular and land line networks.� With the falling of the buildings that housed major antennas and switches came the falling out of cellular communication.� Television networks advised home viewers to limit calling so as to minimize congestion of the air waves.� Government officials, relief workers, and family members of victims fought for control of the towers and all were left vying for the opportunity to listen to busy signals or nothing at all because of overcrowding.� The purpose of this report is to establish which technological advancements, made between September 11th and the present day, would prevent the cellular telecommunications breakdown that occurred. |
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| ����������� The advancements eligible for consideration do not necessarily have to call for a change in the current system, merely a great improvement.� The advancements must affect the greater part of U.S. territory, if not its entirety.� They must be employable within the near future.� And, following the guidelines of business, they must prove profitable.� The cost of the advancements must not only be acceptable to the companies investing in them, but also the customers who will essentially be paying for these improvements.� |
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| What caused the breakdown of telecommunications on September 11th? |
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| ����������� Cellular service operates through the use of antennas, some of which send the signal and some of which relay a sent signal.� The tragedy of the World Trade Centers collapse generated in excess of 230 million calls made in the New York metro region alone (Adamy CC).� Communication was a priority for everyone with loved ones in the area.� Everyone was calling simultaneously.� The concern for loved ones safety was not isolated to Manhattan.� 3,000 miles away, service was being saturated and calls were being dropped: |
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Even in-state networks in California felt the pinch.� Pacific Bell saw about 4 million more calls between 9:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. than on a typical day, which usually sees about 17.5 million calls during that time, spokesman John Britton said.� Congestion did keep some calls from getting through to San Francisco and Los Angeles early Tuesday morning, he said. |
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(Adamy CC) |
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| This volume of calling coupled with the loss of a major hub for cellular service resulted in complete congestion of the antennas left functional.� Those antennas not affected by the plane crashes could not compensate for the loss of the World Trade Centers antennas and switches.� Telephone carriers were left scrambling for solutions. |
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����������� "East coast carriers gave priority to outgoing calls so people could send word they were safe and asked people to refrain from making unnecessary calls.� AT&T added mobile cellular stations in Brooklyn and Jersey City, N.J., to handle the extra volume"
(Adamy CC).� Such actions taken by major phone carriers illustrates both the companies and the customers dependence on a single station.� The centralization of the antennas created the breakdown.� Communications Achilles heel was severed and people looking for confirmation of survival were left with emotionless recorded messages stating that the network is too busy to complete the call.� The network was too busy because the majority of the network, housed in two great skyscrapers, had been destroyed. |
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| Satellite advancements |
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| ����������� Unlike cellular antennas which are vulnerable to all forms of modern day attack, satellites offer the consolation of the most reliable and secure signal available, the safety of tracking the source of the call regardless of terrain, the convenience of being able to send a greater variety of signals more quickly, and the powerful ability to give priority to certain users.� According to an article in Communications Daily, released on the one year anniversary of the attacks, satellite telephones were the only telephones with signals during the Winter Olympics held in Salt Lake City, UT, where the mountain ranges left cellular phone users without service (Branch).� Because satellites receive and send signals on a vertical axis, rather than a horizontal axis, the telephones could maintain a connection much easier.� This vertical axis also allows for a greater area of service to be monitored, much greater than the area covered by the average cellular tower.� The security of satellites is dependable enough to earn the trust of the U.S. government and military.� "Satellite telephones don't use 'bent-pipe technology' so they have extra security.� New phones used by military has 'secure sleeve' that fits on telephone that provides 'extra level of security'" (Branch).� This secure connection, trusted by the government, can assure that communications will not only be reliable, but also protected.� Satellite phones may also pinpoint the exact location of the telephone being used which will improve response time to 9-11 emergency calls made from the phones.� Moreover, satellite receivers may be installed in vehicles carrying valuable or unstable cargo so as to prevent any mishaps (Branch).� The cellular signal, when compared to that of a satellite, is rather weak and clumsy.� Two satellite telephone companies, Globalstar and Qualcomm, have developed the technology necessary to send live video images of any moving vehicle, such as a plane, as well as the technology to monitor both voice and data.� Finally, the main advancement of satellite technology is its ability to filter calls.� Unlike a cellular tower, which works on a first come - first serve priority base, satellite calls may give priority to individual users (Branch).� This factor would have made the television announcements to the masses to limit use completely unnecessary.� Overall, though, the satellite telephone industry is faring poorly against the more traditional cellular and digital signals of the major companies because of high cost to both the consumer and the company.� However, given the security, guarantee of a greater variety of signals, and the ability to prioritize calls, the satellite telephone improves the current cellular system completely. |
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| The affordable end to cellular (Code Divisional Multi Access CDMA) service |
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| A much more monetarily sound way to take advantage of some of the advances made by satellite technology is the use of Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) which relies on a Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) network (Nobel 1). |
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To date, vendors and carriers see more profit in applications such as MMS so are concentrating on the GSM/GPRS networks that support them.� That focus slights the CDMA platform, which is more widely deployed in the United States and is seen as necessary for enterprise services here.� Development for CDMA networks is being stunted as a result. |
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(Nobel 1) |
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| The reason that the cellular towers were jammed with calls on September 11th is because each user relied on an analog or digital signal.� Both these wavelengths are miniscule compared to that offered by GSM technology.� The reasoning is the same for the reasoning behind a dial-up internet connection and DSL service or a Cable connection.� "The game seems to be selling megabytes to end users" (Nobel 1).� CDMA technology runs as does a dial-up connection to the internet.� Bandwidth is limited which creates the problems of service congestion, dropped calls, echoes, etc.� GSM and GPRS technology allows both voice and data streams to run on one phone (Nobel 1).� Not only is service more reliable - and global, unlike CDMA - but it is also more versatile.� However, because companies have yet to conjure a phone that may work with both CDMA, the most used network, and GSM, the most affordable and dependable network, the immediate employment of GSM and GPRS advances are doubtful.� The advancements still pale in comparison to those of satellite transmissions, but the marketability of features such as being able to send digital photos, and receive and send pages and e-mails compensate for the moderate gain in reliability. |
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| Consolidation of companies consolidates advances |
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| Cellular companies own networks of antennae allowing them to transmit cellular signals.� When a user of one company is out of range of the company's own towers, the user is roaming in another company's service area.� Consolidation of companies will consolidate towers, allowing for a greater chance of constant signal.� This still limits the users to a service area, regardless of size.� However, consolidation of companies consolidates advances which will, in turn, protect companies from the fate suffered by WorldCom.� "Instead of six nationwide carriers. . .� a more economically feasible number might be three or four" (Romero A17).� This may bring about the troubles that resulted in deregulation of land-lines, however, it will improve service.� Verizon and Sprint work with CDMA technology but have no current plans with GSM technology.� AT&T, Cingular, and T-Mobile all have GSM networks progressing (Romero A17).� These companies, however, are focusing on amenities rather than the quality of service.� "The percentage of all wireless subscribers who have called customer-service centers at least once in the last year to complain about service or because they had other problems has climbed to 61%" (Romero A17).� Although the quality of service is becoming a greater problem of late, companies still stress a digital camera or color screen or free text messaging.� Cellular companies revenues are down and, in order to bring them up, they stress the amenities rather than the reliability of service.� What good is a digital photo if a user cannot find a signal to send it?� |
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| ". . .� The stock of AT&T Wireless Services and Sprint PCS. . . are down 45% this year on investor concern about revenues.� And the two largest carriers, Verizon Wireless and Cingular Wireless, which are controlled by regional Bell companies are struggling to find and pay for additional swaths of airwaves to carry calls"� (Romero A17).� Major cellular companies' current revenue problems would be fettered if consolidation takes place and service - though still vulnerable to a saturation of calls - will improve. |
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| Summary |
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| The technological advancements of the past year and three months have been promising, though costly.� Satellite technology is far to expensive for the average American, but it is the most advanced in all respects.� GSM and GPRS technology presents a reliable medium between CDMA and satellite based mobile phones, but a phone that is compatible with both signals has only been researched, not developed, and not produced.� The consolidation of companies will expand coverage areas, promote speedy development of cost effective technologies such as satellite, and ease telecommunication companies' woes, but the overall likelihood of such consolidation occurring of the companies own volition is highly improbable.� Government involvement such as Reagan's deregulation of AT&T and Clinton's deregulation of local service within the "baby bells" seems to be the only way consolidation will ever come to pass. |
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| To establish a communication system that will prevent a communications breakdown the scale of that of 9/11, is to establish a strong push towards all technological advancements simultaneously.� I recommend a coupling of companies based on strengths and weaknesses.� A company with a strong CDMA network that is not advanced in GSM or satellite technology coupled with a company with a weaker CDMA network that is advanced in GSM or satellite technology allows for growth in revenue, a wider coverage area for customers, and a speedy technology development period for the betterment of all consumers. |
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| ����������� The centralization of cellular service is at the heart of the communications breakdown of 9/11.� The collapse of two towers triggered the collapse of a major metropolitan area's communication infrastructure.� To decentralize the signal receivers - as satellite technology |
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| does - is to protect the stability of the communication infrastructure.� The power of the internet is that it has no Achilles heel.� The internet's range is so broad that in order to affect it as the falling of the World Trade Center affected communications in Manhattan requires the destruction of all communication signal transmitters, land-lines, and satellites.� Centralization of tele-communication signals leaves the industry vulnerable.� Decentralization of telecommunication signals allows hearts to connect when people are vulnerable. |
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| Works Cited |
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| Adamy, Janet and Jessica Guynn.� "Internet, Cell Phones Busy During Crisis."� Contra Costa Times� 3� Sept.� 2001:� CC. |
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| Branch, Bruce.� "Satellites Play Big Part in Post 9/11 Era."� Communications Daily� 12� Sept. 2002.� LexisNexis.� 15� Nov.� 2002. http://web.lexis-nexis.com/universe/document. |
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| Nobel, Carmen. �"Wireless Users in the Enterprise Face Hard Choice: With carriers and wireless providers focused on consumer services, enterprises face a tough choice of waiting for better options or paying a premium for consumer features and gadgetry to get utilitarian voice and data services."� EWeek� 21� Oct.� 2002:� 1. |
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| Romero, Simon.� "Cellphone Service Hurt by Success."� New York Times� 18� Nov.� 2002:� A17. |
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