cell phone connections could blackout during eclipse

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“If you go to a rural area where you already have spotty or limited cell service you probably are not going to get any cell service because of the overload of the network because of people trying to livestream or share the event on social media,” tech expert Burton Kelso said.

Sprint has added more capacity to cell towers in St. Joseph, but right now their mobile cell towers are all heading to Oregon and Idaho. A spokesperson said they are continuing to evaluate other areas where mobile cell towers could enhance customer experiences.

If networks overload there could be bigger problems than failed uploads.

“If you can’t get a signal on your cell phone you aren’t placing any kind of call whether it’s a 911 call or a call to your spouse,” Hassan Al-Rubaie, MARC public safety communications technician, said.

Travelers could be left without GPS, and if you don’t have it, 911 dispatchers may not have those location services either, even if you do get through