Most of the US Carriers have Priority systems setup on the Cell Networks for Government Users.  You either enter in a Prefix code on your phone, or your phone's SIM id is registered as a priority user.  

Spencer

************************************************************
Spencer Wood, Network Manager
Ohio Department Of Transportation
1320 Arthur E. Adams Drive
Columbus, Ohio 43221

E-Mail: Spencer.Wood@dot.state.oh.us
Phone: 614.644.5422/Fax: 614.887.4021/Cell: 614.774.3123
*************************************************************



Sean Donelan <sean@donelan.com>
Sent by: owner-nanog@merit.edu

07/09/2005 07:05 PM

To
nanog@merit.edu
cc
Subject
Re: London incidents






On Thu, 7 Jul 2005, Gadi Evron wrote:
> I wonder, has anyone ever prepared a best practices paper of some sort
> as to what can be expected in cases of big emergencies and mass
> hysteria, for networks?

Yes, there have been several studies and papers about what happens to
networks during public emergencies.  Look at the FCC NRIC (www.nric.org)
and the US National Academies of Science.

Unfortunately, in the USA at least, the government is fixated on trying
to force a particular "solution" instead of trying to understand the
different problems.  Some people think pre-emption is the answer, and have
hired numerous consultants to try to push it through any standards group
they can find.