Cell Towers Added On Mall To Deal With Extra Data From Smartphones, Tablets

President Obama’s second inauguration may bring smaller crowds to the Mall than his first, but officials fear that potent new wireless gadgets will clog the airwaves above the festivities just as before.

Wireless traffic congestion was a big problem four years ago when 1.8 million people packed the Mall for the inauguration and called the folks back home with what are now antiquated cellphones.

Less than half that many people are expected this time, but they will be armed with much more powerful smartphones and tablets, some of which require more than 120 times the bandwidth of a typical cellphone. 
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