STORY:
Wait to Test Phone

Phone companies are worried about confusing busy signals with Y2K

Picking up your phone just to find out if Y2K bugs have silenced your dial tone at the stroke of midnight New Year's Eve could hurt someone.

Telephone companies nationwide want customers to fight the temptation to check for a dial tone at the moment the new year dawns. If a lot of people do pick up their phones at the same time, telephone networks could jam, locking out people trying to dial 9-1-1 for emergencies.

That could mean heart attack victims or others needing immediate help would be forced to wait, possibly with dire consequences.

Phone companies are not discouraging people from calling each other to say "Happy New Year" when the clock strikes 12. In fact, most phone companies believe New Year's Day could set an all-time record for phone calls, surpassing even Mother's Day.

Callers will know the network is jammed if they hear rapid busy signals on the line. Phone companies ask that people wishing to test phones, phone lines or Internet connections wait until at least 2 a.m., when networks should be less busy.

DATE: 12/24/99

For more E2000 stories, click here:
news | events | Y2K | today's news | life | party | stew

Marketplace
Books
Collectibles
Celebration Supplies
General Merchandise
Travel Packages