The months of anticipation are over and the big day is nearly upon us.
But with millions of people set to watch Wills and Kate tie the knot in their homes and hundreds of thousands of people set to throng the streets around Westminster Abbey, there is a very good chance that some of your gadgets will start playing up.
Here is GadgetHelpline.com’s guide to some of the gadget issues people may experience during the day of the Royal nuptials.
What to do if your mobile network crashes
Mobile networks such as O2, Vodafone, Three, T-Mobile and Orange are going to experience extremely heavy traffic on the day of the wedding, as millions of UK people exchanging messages and calls and data usage will inevitably slow down the connectivity between your mobile and the networks.
You may experience a delay on your mobile SMS/MMS messages being sent and experience the familiar “New Year’s Eve” no call zone which we have all experienced at one time or another.
Solution: Send your messages earlier if possible, alert people you are in contact with beforehand that they may not get your message or alternatively try use the old Landline phone if you simply must discuss the dress with your nearest and dearest!
What to do about GPS Sat Nav rerouting
If you are one of the hoards of people planning on descending onto the Capital on Friday, or even have no choice but to drive around the surrounding area in the day, be prepared to be rerouted and for roads to be shut off completely. Massive areas of London will be shut off and blocked and roads surrounding Westminster and beyond will be jam packed with well-wishers.
People with GPS units (TomTom, Mio, Garmin etc.) with Live Traffic software on them will need to turn this on immediately and users with a less connected devices will need to do a bit of research on alternative routes beforehand.
Solution: Plan your Journey early and take the time to look at some more scenic routes. Maybe take a little detour through the country instead of all the main roads or equally don’t travel in the first place. Just sit back and enjoy the day!
What to do if Social Networks Go into Meltdown
We live in a true social networking age, but if you are not a full on Social Network butterfly it may be a day you should consider avoiding logging into Facebook and Twitter as it’s going to be an incredibly busy day for the sites. This teamed with Mobile networks being down and Broadband and internet speeds being slows means getting that message to your friend about how you wish you and your partner were royals could prove very difficult indeed. Features such as Places and Live chat on Facebook will be the first to go and if anyone is looking to log their whereabouts or have a live chat it might be best to give it a miss.
Solution: Log off for the day or and enjoy a day free of social networks safe in the knowledge most of your friends will be doing the same as you or even hold a good old fashioned street party or BBQ to enjoy the big day with your friends.
What to do if you lose your TV signal
The vast majority of people will be watching the ceremony on our good old fashioned telly box, but many may experience some signal issues with the sheer volume of people tuning in. The Digital ‘Freeview’ platform has never been tested the way it will be on Friday and with millions using their digital signals there could well be signal issues that will have people pulling their hair out!
Solution: Before the big event run your TV through a Reset or a Digital re-tune and get all of your channels on the best signal at that time. This should solve any pixilation issues and give you the best chance of seeing the whole thing clearly.
What to do if you experience slow Broadband / internet connections
Internet connectivity is something we all rely heavily on nowadays, but with The Royal Wedding being shown in numerous online streaming sites, news feeds and general information websites, it will be a tough old day on your local BT exchange (the place your broadband is distributed from) so you may need to expect some slowdown.
Last year, the BBC iPlayer crashed when millions of Brits logged on to watch the England v Slovenia crunch match during the World Cup and the Royal wedding will see the Streaming service hit by a potentially even larger audience.
Solution: No easy answer to this one. If iPlayer crashes you will have little choice but to watch it on the TV or even get a bit nostalgic and listen to the whole ceremony on the radio, just like your Grandma did!
For more information about issues people may experience with their gadgets during the day of the Royal Wedding and to interview the experts at GadgetHelpline.com, please contact ben@quitegreat.co.uk / 01223 403333.