If so, do cell phone networks still get stressed?

  • @expatriado
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    1 month ago

    forgot that used to be a thing, nowadays i just post comments on Lemmy

    • @[email protected]
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      371 month ago

      People calling each other at new years was a thing in the before times when texting was non-existent, expensive or not widespread. People would call each other usually on land lines and caused a lot of stress to the network. It could take hours to get through. When mobile phones became a thing, people tried to be trendy and call from a party, leading to total collapse of the local cell network.

      Later when texting became the norm, it would also be easily overloaded and texts could take a while to get through. These days since everything goes through the internet, I wouldn’t expect there to be any issues. The internet can handle sudden increases much better.

    • @Psythik
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      91 month ago

      Really? Back in the 2000s and 2010s I used to get a whole bunch of mass texts from friends, family, and random people, wishing me a happy new year. Nobody does that anymore.

    • zerozaku
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      21 month ago

      I prefer normal calls over app calls.

  • @[email protected]
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    121 month ago

    Back in the early 00’s everybody called and the cell network was stressed, I normally waited 15-30 minutes before calling my parents.

    Nowadays the 5g network can handle that many calls and a big chunk of the people use something else than phone calls.

    • @spongebue
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      11 month ago

      Does 5G handle regular voice calls, or are you talking about calling over a data line with an app?

      • @[email protected]
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        21 month ago

        I would assume everything including GSM calls is IP/packet based nowadays, unless your phone has switched to 1G

        • @Psythik
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          31 month ago

          Isn’t 1G analog? All voice calls are transmitted digitally and have been since the early 90s.

  • Rentlar
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    121 month ago

    I used to call some relatives but the list I had dwindled then the last people became too hard of hearing to call.

  • @CrowAirbrush
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    111 month ago

    I just go to bed at 11, like i would on any other day off😅

    • @LaunchesKayaks
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      51 month ago

      I was asleep by 10. Woke up to so many texts and didn’t respond until I felt like it. It was honestly super nice. Just spent the night laying with my dogs and reading until I got sleepy.

  • slazer2au
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    91 month ago

    Telstra also predicts that there will be 47 million calls from mobiles — up 15 per cent from last year — and close to 91 million text messages sent to family and friends.

    Telstra said that the peak in texting starts just as we ring in the New Year.

    Last year alone, more than 4.1 million text messages were sent between midnight and 1am.

    For reference this is from 2017 and Australia has a population of ~24 million. So yes mobile networks do get stressed significantly on new years.

  • @[email protected]
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    81 month ago

    I don’t think cell tower networks would be because they are probably on wifi when calling(at home) and likely use something like facetime or your choice of free open source messenger which uses the internet.

    • @xpinchx
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      41 month ago

      I used to work next to a huge arena. Every time there was a sold-out show, the cell service would be rough the whole time from people sending videos and such. When the shows let out it would be a complete meltdown while people tried to get Ubers.

      • @[email protected]
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        11 month ago

        I remember my graduation used wireless(presumably bluetooth) speakers, and they were constantly cutting out almost the whole time. Not quite to the scale you’re talking about but the graduation hall was packed and I’m sure it was full of phones and smartwatches.

  • @[email protected]
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    81 month ago

    I would imagine the networks in especially congested areas (New York City Times Square) might struggle under the load because there’s so many damn people celebrating.

  • @Anticorp
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    71 month ago

    I’ve only ever texted people, and always well before midnight. I’ve never called anyone on NYE, and I’m middle aged. Back in the day I was too busy in the moment to think of calling someone, and now a days nobody wants to be called, nor do I want to call.

  • @[email protected]
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    41 month ago

    I just talked with 3 people right at midnight. Did have a problem with one call going through but once connected the quality was fine.