The more successful providers are, the more they must spend on equipment to make sure their growing number of subscribers can reach the Web without getting a busy signal.

CNN: Giving It All Away

Mobilcom, which charges a flat rate of DM0.19 a minute for long-distance calls in Germany (a third of Deutsche Telekom's peak rate), is so popular that most customers trying to reach its network find only a busy signal.

ECONOMIST: Deutsche Telekom

And if you just did one thing this hurricane season, make sure you've got a good family communication plan and what your backups are going to be, so when you get on that cell phone and you get that busy signal you're not stuck, you know what the next step is.

WHITEHOUSE: Press Briefing