At Cingular Wireless, a national mobile operator, network call traffic surged to 400 percent of its normal level from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

CNN: Networks hit, but telecom stays operational

" Interestingly enough, the system supposedly relies on "modified software" running on regular WiFi equipment, and wireless access points with the newfangled software can seemingly daisy-chain directional network traffic through "several carefully aligned steerable antennas in order to eventually reach a fiber link connected to the internet.

ENGADGET: Intel developing software hack for long-range WiFi

The carrier also is spending billions of dollars to build out a next-generation broadband network, using a technology called LTE, that can handle more wireless data traffic.

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