Many people rely on their cell phones for everything from getting directions to staying in touch with friends and family. But will they work if a big earthquake hits?
David Winkowski, a telecommunications expert who helped write a USGS report on a major quake’s impact on cell networks, details one of the biggest concerns — network overload.
“When you're overloading the network, that typically is the way that it fails to begin with,” he says. “Everybody jumps on … they check in with their loved ones, with their friends. Some people like to post on social media.”
Networks being affected by physical damages to a tower in an earthquake are not as much of a concern. Winkowski explains how most towers are designed to withstand more than a major earthquake.
The damage to the network that could occur would come from power outages. It could also come from destruction to the fiber optic network that feeds the towers when the ground is shifting.
“When we are looking at the question of power outages, the state of California requires carriers to provide 72 hours of power back-up,” he says. “And so hopefully that's enough to get us through at least the initial phase.”
Assuming there is no damage to generators, then people should be able to stay in touch in an earthquake’s wake; however, if it’s a major event that causes extensive damage, then generators would need to be refueled.
Phone batteries should also be taken into consideration. They typically last about a day, so it’d be important to conserve batteries as much as possible. Winkowski says the best way to do this is limiting usage.
“We recommended in the USGS report that ‘text don't talk’ because texting is actually a really great way to communicate during a disaster,” he explains. “It is a very low-impact method of communication that uses a significantly less amount of power than even speaking with your voice.”
For now, people only need to worry about the Great California Shakeout earthquake drill on Oct. 19.
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