Boston Cellphone Service Wasn't Cut Off After Attacks

It was seriously overwhelmed, though

In light of this afternoon's tragedy at the Boston Marathon, many across the world scrambled to contact loved ones through calls, texts, and social media. Cellular providers had beefed up their networks in advance of the Marathon, but even with the extra capacity the networks became flooded, leading to reports of users being unable to make calls.

There was confusion this afternoon when the Associated Press reported that cell service in the city would be intentionally shut off as police looked to prevent any possible cellular activation of another explosive. However, the news organization basically retracted its original story and found no such shutdown was ordered. The carriers said heavy usage caused connection delays—but service remained available in the city throughout the day.