COWs are more or less full sites - so standard N concurrent voice calls per carrier (check out the CDMA standard if you're really interested), times the number of carriers. They can do 850+PCS all carrier if configured that way. If we can grab fiber from a nearby building that's best (hence why this takes so long to plan), however a lot of time we rely on OC3 microwave backhaul. I wasn't involved with the DC guys as I'm in Boston so I don't know specifics of this event.
Re: security, I don't know since I wasn't involved though since all the planning started so far back I doubt there was much issue. -Jack Carrozzo On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 1:54 PM, Paul Stewart <pstew...@nexicomgroup.net> wrote: > Just curious on that note with COW .. did you have much security related > problems setting up stuff nearby? > > -----Original Message----- > From: Mike Lyon [mailto:mike.l...@gmail.com] > Sent: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 1:52 PM > To: Jack Carrozzo > Cc: nanog@nanog.org > Subject: Re: inauguration streams review > > How many simultaneous connections can each COW handle? What kind of > backhaul > connections do they have? > > -Mike > > > On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 10:49 AM, Jack Carrozzo <j...@crepinc.com> > wrote: > >> I can't comment on revenue-generation, though access as a whole was > quite >> high. >> >> We hardly had any voice IAs (Ineffective Attempts, or 'Busy' >> messages). Since data can be queued, the only thing that would cause >> data IAs are bad RF conditions - we had a TON of 'cell on wheels' in >> the area for the event so we had enough carrier space to cover it. >> >> In-network data response times were hardly affected, with switch loads >> well below 50%. In-network SMS were still getting to their >> destinations in under 5 seconds for the most part.... I don't have any >> numbers on MMS or mobile IP data at the moment, though I would have >> heard if something horrible had happened. >> >> I'm told that the out-of-network SMS queue was piling pretty high at >> one point, to delivery times up to an hour, though they all still got >> there. We can't control other network's switches obviously. >> >> This isn't trying to sound like an advertisement - *I'm* not affected >> either way if people sign up with us as I'm not in sales, however from >> my point of view it looks like we had the most solid network... Our >> guys were planning and setting things up since June. >> >> Cheers, >> >> -Jack Carrozzo >> >> On Wed, Jan 21, 2009 at 1:29 PM, Peter Beckman <beck...@angryox.com> >> wrote: >> > On Tue, 20 Jan 2009, Jack Carrozzo wrote: >> > >> >> Cell networks held up reasonably well for voice, though SMS and MMS >> >> delivery times approached an hour during the event. Switch load in >> >> almost the entire US was higher than midnight on New Years (which > is >> >> generally the highest load of the year). >> >> >> >> Our network has been preparing since June, and I assume likewise > for >> >> others. >> > >> > Unfortunately for me Sprint did not seem to prepare or have enough >> > capacity for Voice, SMS or Data access. No live Twitter blogging! >> > >> > While I was able to get a few (maybe 5 between 10am and 2pm) text >> messages >> > out while standing near the Washington Monument, calls and data > were an >> > impossibility, and SMS only seemed to have capacity available > during >> lulls >> > in the Inaugural activity. >> > >> > It was disappointing as a customer -- I'm sure that, had the > capacity >> been >> > there, the revenue from that single event would have made a > significant >> > impact on any of the carrier's revenue, at least for the month. >> > >> >> -Jack Carrozzo >> >> (Engineer at $large cell company whose policy doesn't allow me to >> specify) >> > >> > (Google spills the beans!) I'm curious if you can find out -- did > the >> > record traffic positively affect revenue for that period compared > to >> last >> > year at the same time, or even last week on the same day? >> > >> > And from a more technical standpoint, did your $large cell company > put >> up >> > temporary towers? I'm curious as to how your company added > capacity to >> > handle the event, as well as how many "Network Busy" messages > customers >> > got, if any. I know I got more of those messages than I did > successful >> > communications. >> > >> > Beckman >> > >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > --- >> > Peter Beckman > Internet >> Guy >> > beck...@angryox.com >> http://www.angryox.com/ >> > >> > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > --- >> > >> > > > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > "The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to > which it is addressed and contains confidential and/or privileged material. > If you received this in error, please contact the sender immediately and then > destroy this transmission, including all attachments, without copying, > distributing or disclosing same. Thank you." >