# Cell phone constantly busy? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 31, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448 "2009-03-31T16:05:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/1 "2009-03-31T16:05:25Z")
Quick question: I’m trying to get hold of a guy, he’s only got a cell phone. Calling that number gives only a busy signal. No voice mail, etc. I’m not used to getting busy signals on cell phones. Trying to figure out what that might mean… ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/2 "2009-03-31T16:17:46Z")
I have a friend with a prepaid mobile phone… when his credit is used up, the system won;t let me call him. On his phone, you get a message along the lines of “We can’t connect your call because the subscriber’s account is not active.” IST recall that on older postpaid systems, a similar situation would just not connect. Any idea whether your contact is using a really old phone and account? ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/3 "2009-03-31T16:34:33Z")
he’s not that into you? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/4 "2009-03-31T17:48:23Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > he’s not that into you? Then he’s not that into his paycheck either… I don’t know what type of cell phone he has. ---
**Author:** ![PatriotGrrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9dc877/32.png) [@PatriotGrrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatriotGrrrl)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/5 "2009-03-31T18:46:50Z")
It might mean that he has his cell phone set to forward all calls to a landline number which doesn’t have voicemail. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/6 "2009-03-31T19:27:24Z")
Is it a busy signal, or a fast-busy signal? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/7 "2009-03-31T19:31:05Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > Is it a busy signal, or a fast-busy signal? Not sure of the difference, offhand. It might be a bit faster than the busy signals I remember for land lines. ---
**Author:** ![Shark\_Sandwich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f04885/32.png) [@Shark\_Sandwich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark_Sandwich)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/8 "2009-03-31T19:42:52Z")
Not sure how to explain this, but a busy signal that beeps (or buzzes or whatever) about every second or so usually means the party is on the other line. If it’s a fast-busy, it’ll beep about every half-second or so, it’s reorder tone, and usually means the number isn’t in service. You usually get a recording for this, but sometimes you don’t. It can also mean network congestion. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/9 "2009-03-31T19:47:37Z")
> [@Shark\_Sandwich](#): > > Not sure how to explain this, but a busy signal that beeps (or buzzes or whatever) about every second or so usually means the party is on the other line. If it’s a fast-busy, it’ll beep about every half-second or so, it’s reorder tone, and usually means the number isn’t in service. You usually get a recording for this, but sometimes you don’t. It can also mean network congestion. In the exchanges I’ve lived in, in two states, fast busy nearly always means that the exchange is overloaded at one end of the call or the other and cannot connect you through. (It’s also what we got when we accidentally failed to make a very late phone payment and were disconnected – you could still dial 911 but nothing else.) ---
**Author:** ![IAmNotSpartacus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/cc9497/32.png) [@IAmNotSpartacus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IAmNotSpartacus)\ **Post date:** [March 31, 2009, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/10 "2009-03-31T20:19:29Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Not sure of the difference, offhand. It might be a bit faster than the busy signals I remember for land lines. I don’t suppose you’re calling from a VoIP line…? ---
**Author:** ![dozer66](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c77e96/32.png) [@dozer66](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dozer66)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/11 "2015-05-22T17:28:17Z")
all it means on a verizon phone is the cell bill has not been paid they use fast busy signal and the standard the number u r trying to reach has been changed disconnected or is no longer in service hahaha stop trippin weirdos no one blocked ur number…:🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/12 "2015-05-22T17:44:28Z")
> [@dozer66](#): > > all it means on a verizon phone is the cell bill has not been paid they use fast busy signal and the standard the number u r trying to reach has been changed disconnected or is no longer in service hahaha stop trippin weirdos no one blocked ur number…:🙂 Thanks for that, but now 6 years later I don’t even remember whom I was trying to reach. ---
**Author:** ![Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e4f/32.png) [@Digital\_is\_the\_new\_Analog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Digital_is_the_new_Analog)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2015, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cell-phone-constantly-busy/491448/13 "2015-05-23T02:06:42Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > Thanks for that, but now 6 years later I don’t even remember whom I was trying to reach. Check your wallet for old, uncashed checks made out to other people.