BellSouth said in a news release that it was ''handling extremely high call volumes'' but that its network was functioning properly.

''Immediately following the tragedies, call volumes increased as much as three times in some areas. Those calls were primarily cell and toll calls,'' the release said. ''Call volume has since leveled off and is currently within normal range.''

Monica Mears, a spokeswoman for Cingular Wireless in Atlanta, said the company was experiencing high call volumes throughout the country. Although Cingular's network is equipped to handle the influx, abnormal network congestion might lead to trouble connecting callers, she said.

''Everyone has a loved one they are trying to reach, so we've asked people to use their wireless only for essential calls,'' Ms. Mears said. ''We see this often with natural disasters. Networks are built for a certain level of everyday traffic, but if everyone picks up their phone at the same time, you end up with network congestion. That's what we're trying to avoid.''

Alltel Communications, which serves Savannah River Site and Fort Gordon with network service and equipment, was charging its mobile phones Tuesday in case either installation needed extra wireless capabilities.

Reach John Bankston at (706) 823-3352 or john.banks@augustachronicle.com.