MOSCOW-Russian wireless carriers joined the effort to help resolve the unprecedented hostage drama in Moscow where Chechen terrorists held some 700 theatergoers hostage.
Wireless traffic in the area of the theater heavily increased on the night when spectators called their relatives and police to report the seizure of the audience of the Nord-Ost musical.
Mobile TeleSystems (MTS) said it immediately “increased the traffic capacity in the area to avoid overloads.” It also provided free traffic to law enforcers engaged in negotiations with the terrorists “to avert any possibility of blocking the handsets.” In addition, MTS proposed free traffic to hostages if law enforcers deemed it necessary.
Vimpelcom (BeeLine) also reported a close to the maximum load on its network on the tragic night and said more than 8,000 calls were attempted in a short spell of time in the theater area. The carrier immediately switched on a traffic redistribution system to ensure normal communications.
BeeLine said it was in constant contact with the anti-terrorist headquarters and provided free traffic to law enforcers and the relatives of the hostages at the site of the drama. The carrier added it was ready to hand out mobile phones to journalists and relatives staying near the seized theater if the law enforcers deemed it necessary.
BeeLine said the traffic remained high in the area, however, the network “properly copes with the critical situation.”
