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>>> SOME RELATIVES OF THE
MISSING PASSENGERS SAY THEY'VE
CALLED THEIR LOVED ONES' CELL
PHONES AND INSTEAD OF GOING TO
VOICE MAIL THE PHONES CONTINUE
TO RING.
WHAT, IF ANYTHING, DOES THAT
TELL US?
JOINING US IS A TECHNOLOGY
EXPERT.
JEFF, THANKS FOR COMING IN.
WHAT SHOULD THESE LOVED ONES
CONCLUDE IF IT'S STILL RINGING
INSTEAD OF IMMEDIATELY GOING TO
VOICE MAIL?
>> THIS IS ONE OF THE SAD PARTS
ABOUT THE TECHNOLOGY.
THE WAY THE CELL PHONE NETWORK
WORKS, IT'S NOT CONNECTING WITH
A PHONE.
WHEN YOU PLACE A CELL PHONE ON A
WIRELESS PHONE, YOU PLACE THE
CALL, YOU PRESS SEND.
WHAT HAPPENS IS YOU START
HEARING RINGING BUT THE OTHER
PHONE ISN'T RINGING YET.
IF THE NETWORK HAS TO FIND THE
PHONE AND THEN THEY HAVE TO
SENDED IT CALL THERE.
IF IT DOESN'T FIND THE PHONE
AFTER A FEW MINUTES, AFTER A FEW
RINGS, THEN TYPICALLY IT
DISCONNECTS AND THAT'S WHAT IS
HAPPENING.
THEY ARE HEARING RINGING AND
THEY ASSUME IT'S CONNECTING TO
THEIR LOVED ONES, BUT IT'S NOT.
IT'S THE NETWORK SENDING A
SIGNAL TO THE PHONE LETTING THEM
KNOW IT'S LOOKING FOR THEM.
NOW, MY WIFE AND I HAVE CELL
PHONES.
WE'RE ON DIFFERENT NETWORKS.
WHEN MY WIFE CALLS ME ON HER
CELL PHONE AND THEN I ANSWER ON
THE FIRST RING, SHE SAYS, I'VE
BEEN RINGING FOR THREE OR FOUR,
FIVE TIMES, I'VE ONLY HEARD IT
ONCE.
THE EXTRA RINGS WERE THE
NETWORKS TRYING TO TALK TO EACH
OTHER AND FIND ME.
AND THAT'S JUST HERE IN THE
UNITED STATES AND ATLANTA.
IF YOU'VE GOT PHONES CONNECTED
TO DIFFERENT NETWORKS, PHONES
CONNECTED IN OTHER COUNTRIES,
ONE COUNTRY AND ANOTHER
COUNTRCOUNTRY
TRYING TO KPUN INDICOMMUNICATE
OTHER, IT TAKES TIME.
>> THE PHONE HAS TO BE ON LAND,
NEAR SOME SELL TOWER OR NOT FAR
OFF OF LAND INTO A FEW MILES OF
THE WATER.
WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF THAT?
>> AND MOST BATTERIES DON'T LAST
MORE THAN A DAY OR TWO.
TRADITIONAL CELL PHONES COULD
LAST LONGER.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY THAT THERE
IS NO SURVIVORS.
I'M NOT GOING TO SAY I HAVE NO
IDEA WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE
PLANE.
ALL I'M GOING TO SAY IS JUST
BECAUSE YOU'RE GETTING RINGING.