Brussels Phone Users Urged to Text Not Call as Networks Jammed

People in Brussels were urged to resort to texting and Internet messaging rather than calls as mobile networks became overloaded in the wake of the explosions at the airport and in the city.

Calls may fail in spots where a large number of people try to connect at the same time, Jan Margot, a spokesman for phone carrier Proximus SA, said by phone. The company’s network was operational and people should use text messages and social media for communicating if calls don’t get through, he said. Other wireless carriers including Mobistar SA also asked customers to use Wi-Fi networks or text messaging.