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Cingular GSM network outage affected 900,000 users across U.S.

Posted on 30-Sep-2003 20:54 | Filed under: News


According to Infoworld a failure in one HLR in Atlanta caused the problem that affected 900,000 mobile phone users. The outage went from Friday 26th September afternoon until Sunday 28th September morning, preventing incoming and outgoing mobile phone service and access to voice mail for about 4 percent of Cingular's 22 million customers., according to Cingular spokesman Clay Owen. The service outage hit customers using Cingular's GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication) network in the South, Northeast and Midwest regions of the U.S., Owen said.

Still according to Infoworld the company is investigating the failure of an HLR (Home Location Register) in Atlanta, Owen said. HLRs are databases of mobile phone subscribers that contain account and billing information as well as phone preferences. The HLR databases are maintained by the cell-phone carrier and play a key role in call switching on GSM as well as TDMA phone networks.

Following the failure of an HLR in Atlanta, Cingular responded by routing call traffic through a Chicago HLR, Owen said.


More information: http://www.infoworld.com/article/03/09/29/HNc...