> Is the SMS backbone in the US reliable during peak traffic (such as at a large sporting event or in an emergency situation)? (anecdata) i was at the first wo

> Is the SMS backbone in the US reliable during peak traffic (such as at a large sporting event or in an emergency situation)? (anecdata) i was at the first women's march in Washington DC the day after our current president's inauguration. in the midst of it, there was zero connectivity -- nothing could get through to the network. as you made your way towards the edges (several miles), SMS became usable far before voice calls. the day before, for the inauguration, the government had arranged for cell phone providers to install portable signal-boosting appliances to handle the increased number of people. (these were switched off before the women's march, but the hardware was still physically present.) i imagine places like large sports stadiums do something similar.