If you’ve talked to anyone who has ever attended Electric Daisy Carnival Las Vegas, you have probably heard that the cell phone coverage is atrocious. With over 300,000 people attending EDC, normally functional cell phone networks are incredibly overloaded.
This year EDC is partnering with Snapchat to make sure that cell phone users are covered. Snapchat will provide everyone at EDC with free wifi access “to Snapchat and the Insomniac app so you can continue to share unforgettable moments with friends while staying safe and informed” according to edmsauce.com. We were unable to find the original source of this news on EDC’s website, but suspect that it was communicated via Snapchat, like the lineup announcement and other important news from Insomniac Events.
From the language used, it sounds as if the free wireless will only work for certain apps, which may force everyone to use Snapchat (how clever of them). It’s nothing new though. With recent news of Comcast throttling speed to try and hurt Netflix’s business, super-controlled connections are no surprise (and in this case, you can’t argue with free!).
What this really made us wonder though, is can no one live without their cell phone these days? We know it’s important to take pictures and communicate to lost friends, but people used to have meeting spots and watches. However, at a massive, overwhelming event like EDC, it’s probably best to err on the side of caution and provide attendees with wireless. Hopefully Snapchat’s public service will help us capture the moment and reunite with lost friends, one snapchat at a time.
Important things happen in Pacific Northwest nightlife, and DMNW will send you alerts!
