AUSTIN (KXAN) — With two weeks until the total solar eclipse, many people have already hatched plans to see the phenomenon.
One thing that you might not have considered is if cell service will be impacted. More than a million people are expected to visit Texas to see the eclipse in the path of totality. The path falls over much of the Hill Country and also includes major cities like Dallas and Austin.
With millions of extra people gathering in the eclipse path, should eclipse tourists be concerned about cell service?
Cell phone carrier AT&T said people across different networks saw slowdowns during the last eclipse 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.