Verizon Readies Priority Cellular Access SystemVerizon Readies Priority Cellular Access System

Verizon Wireless is working on a system, in cooperation with the White House, that will give top federal officials priority access to cellular airwaves during emergencies. The system is being developed in response to the events of Sept. 11, when call volumes spiked to more than four times their normal levels, jamming Verizon's airwaves and leaving users unable to get a dial tone. Verizon expects to receive a needed FCC waiver soon.

The system could be working within 60 days in the three cities where the White House says the need is most immediate: New York, Washington, and Salt Lake City, the site of the upcoming Winter Olympics. Initially, about 500 government officials will have access to the service, which will let them dial a special code to obtain priority status. As many as 50,000 federal officials could eventually be granted access to the service by all U.S. cell phone providers once the system is in place nationwide.