browngeek

If there is any industry that is in dire need of a Scalable Architecture, it is the cell phone industry.

Case in point - There was a moderate earthquake in the Bay Area two days ago. Immediately after the vibration subsided, I pulled out my cell phone to check on my dear ones. And what do I get? A “network busy” signal. WTF? My first thought was that maybe one of the phone towers collapsed. Unlikely. Then it occurred that everybody in the Bay Area (that’s about 7 million) were trying to make calls simultaneously. And obviously the system broke down. It was not just my carrier (AT&T), they ALL collapsed.

Yes, these kind of situations don’t happen everyday. But when they do, tough luck! Just imagine if the seismic activity was a tad bigger? And while land lines are more reliable, they are irrelevant because it implies you (and your family) must be home and there is really no need to call. Cell phones are one of the, if not the, most important part of everyday life. What is the point of paying top dollars to your carrier if you cannot depend on them?

Moral of the story: Always have a contingency plan for your family - especially where to meetup in an emergency.