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By JOHN McCORMICK Register Staff Writer 12/29/1999

Telephone calling this New Year's Eve will be like "Mother's Day on Viagra," Federal Communications Commissioner Michael Powell predicted Tuesday.

Telecommunications representatives nationwide are concerned that too many people making too many calls will jam circuits and block emergency calls.

The nation's phone companies are predicting a record for calling volume Friday night and Saturday morning.

Peaks are expected around midnight on New Year's Eve and between 8 a.m. and noon on New Year's Day, as people make calls to celebrate the arrival of 2000 and to monitor potential Y2K computer glitches.

Mother's Day is traditionally the nation's busiest telephone day, although its traffic is spread over a full day, rather than just a few hours.

"The greatest thing we are trying to advise against is just picking up the phone to see if it works," said Lynn Gipple, a spokeswoman for US West in Des Moines.

Even if you don't place a call, Gipple said, picking up your phone to check for a dial tone ties up circuits that might be needed for emergency calls.

The predicted circuit shortage is similar to the kind the Des Moines area has experienced after major storms, when people reach for phones to check on their loved ones.

Cell phone lines also are expected to be busy, with people calling from bars and parties.

In the past, state officials have had to ask residents in the Des Moines area to stop using their cell phones so that the limited number of wireless circuits can be used by emergency workers.

"We don't anticipate any problems or service outages," said Tom Murphy, a spokesman for Sprint PCS in Kansas City. "If the call doesn"t go through, try again."

At a briefing Tuesday for reporters in Washington, D.C., Powell and other federal officials expressed confidence about 911 calls going through and public safety officials being able to dispatch services.

They also advised Americans to keep the seven-digit versions of emergency numbers on hand just in case.

The nation's largest telephone companies have said for months that their networks are ready for Y2K. But officials say they have more limited information on international calling and smaller, rural U.S. phone companies.

Those searching the Internet for news about potential Y2K computer glitches may also add traffic to an already heavily burdened phone system.

Will Shutters, an Internet product specialist for netINS, the state's largest Internet service provider, said he expects Internet traffic to be about the same as most evenings.

Still, he encouraged Internet users to try to get off their lines before the peak periods being predicted by the phone companies.

"The worst-case scenario is someone trying to call 911 and they can't get a line," he said. "Your e-mail will still be there the next morning."

US West offers tips

Here are some tips from US West on how to deal with busy phone lines on New Year's Eve:

* The two hours surrounding midnight on New Year's Eve, and again from 8 a.m. through noon on Saturday, are expected to be the busiest times for phone calls and Internet use. People can minimize delays by placing calls and logging onto the Internet at other times.

* If callers don't get a dial tone right away when they pick up the phone, they should hang up and wait at least 20 seconds. The delay in dial tone means the telephone network is extremely busy.

* If callers get a busy signal or "all circuits are busy" message when they place a call, they should hang up and wait at least 20 seconds. This will help keep network congestion to a minimum. The same advice applies if users have trouble connecting to their Internet service provider.

* Don't call 911 just to see if it works. Such calls could block emergency calls and also could result in the unneeded dispatch of emergency aid.

* It's always a good idea to have a list of the seven-digit local nonemergency phone numbers for police, fire and medical services by the phone in case 911 is unavailable. Having a list of these numbers by the phone on Jan. 1 could be a lifesaver if calling volumes result in delays in reaching 911.

To Readers

Because we will want to provide coverage of any Y2K-related problems occurring on or after midnight New Year's Eve, we will delay production of the Jan. 1 Des Moines Register. That will mean much later delivery of your newspaper that day

-- y2k dave (xsdaa111@hotmail.com), December 29, 1999