If so, do cell phone networks still get stressed?

    • Thorry84@feddit.nl
      37·
      3 days ago

      People calling each other at new years was a thing in the before times when texting was non-existent, expensive or not widespread. People would call each other usually on land lines and caused a lot of stress to the network. It could take hours to get through. When mobile phones became a thing, people tried to be trendy and call from a party, leading to total collapse of the local cell network.

      Later when texting became the norm, it would also be easily overloaded and texts could take a while to get through. These days since everything goes through the internet, I wouldn’t expect there to be any issues. The internet can handle sudden increases much better.

    • Psythik@lemmy.world
      9·
      3 days ago

      Really? Back in the 2000s and 2010s I used to get a whole bunch of mass texts from friends, family, and random people, wishing me a happy new year. Nobody does that anymore.

    • LaunchesKayaks@lemmy.world
      5·
      3 days ago

      I was asleep by 10. Woke up to so many texts and didn’t respond until I felt like it. It was honestly super nice. Just spent the night laying with my dogs and reading until I got sleepy.

  • jetAEnglish
    18·
    4 days ago

    Some do, but it’s app calls now, so just more internet traffic.

  • AwkwardLookMonkeyPuppet@lemmy.worldEnglish
    7·
    3 days ago

    I’ve only ever texted people, and always well before midnight. I’ve never called anyone on NYE, and I’m middle aged. Back in the day I was too busy in the moment to think of calling someone, and now a days nobody wants to be called, nor do I want to call.

  • BeigeAgenda@lemmy.ca
    12·
    3 days ago

    Back in the early 00’s everybody called and the cell network was stressed, I normally waited 15-30 minutes before calling my parents.

    Nowadays the 5g network can handle that many calls and a big chunk of the people use something else than phone calls.

  • Rentlar@lemmy.ca
    12·
    4 days ago

    I used to call some relatives but the list I had dwindled then the last people became too hard of hearing to call.

  • slazer2au@lemmy.worldEnglish
    9·
    3 days ago

    Telstra also predicts that there will be 47 million calls from mobiles — up 15 per cent from last year — and close to 91 million text messages sent to family and friends.

    Telstra said that the peak in texting starts just as we ring in the New Year.

    Last year alone, more than 4.1 million text messages were sent between midnight and 1am.

    For reference this is from 2017 and Australia has a population of ~24 million. So yes mobile networks do get stressed significantly on new years.

  • Gork@lemm.ee
    8·
    3 days ago

    I would imagine the networks in especially congested areas (New York City Times Square) might struggle under the load because there’s so many damn people celebrating.

  • potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fishEnglish
    8·
    3 days ago

    I don’t think cell tower networks would be because they are probably on wifi when calling(at home) and likely use something like facetime or your choice of free open source messenger which uses the internet.

    • xpinchx@lemmy.world
      4·
      3 days ago

      I used to work next to a huge arena. Every time there was a sold-out show, the cell service would be rough the whole time from people sending videos and such. When the shows let out it would be a complete meltdown while people tried to get Ubers.

      • potentiallynotfelix@lemmy.fishEnglish
        1·
        3 days ago

        I remember my graduation used wireless(presumably bluetooth) speakers, and they were constantly cutting out almost the whole time. Not quite to the scale you’re talking about but the graduation hall was packed and I’m sure it was full of phones and smartwatches.

  • ramble81@lemm.ee
    4·
    3 days ago

    I just talked with 3 people right at midnight. Did have a problem with one call going through but once connected the quality was fine.