AUSTIN, Texas (KXAN) — With two weeks until the total solar eclipse, many people have already hatched plans to watch the phenomenon.
One thing that you might not have considered is if cell service will be impacted.
With millions of extra people gathering in the eclipse path, should eclipse tourists be concerned about cell service? Nexstar’s KXAN asked three providers – AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon – whether or not they expect any disruption on April 8, the day of the total solar eclipse.
Cell phone carrier AT&T said people across different networks saw slowdowns during the last eclipse over the U.S., in 2017. Since then, customers have gained access to 5G service—meaning nearly 100 times the number of people can be on the network at the same time compared to previous 4G capacity.
AT&T expects “no direct operational impact” on its network, a company spokesperson said.
Similarly, Verizon expects no impact on its network during the eclipse.
“In areas where people may gather to experience this event, we’re confident the additional capacity we’ve layered into the network over the past few years will accommodate any increases in data usage,” a Verizon spokesperson said.
A T-Mobile spokesperson said its “network is ready for the eclipse.”
The service provider is working with state and local agencies to add extra support for large gatherings. This includes “deploying additional cell sites” for areas expecting higher tourist traffic, according to T-Mobile’s eclipse prep website.
