Cell phones can detonate some bombs, from what I've read. Don't know how true that is. Is is possible someone had something on to "jam" the signals for a bit while they looked for another device? I'm just speculating.
very true, the Madrid train bombs were detonated with cell phones I believe.
My daughter tried to text message someone right after the explosion and her cell phone wouldn't work. It was the 4th quarter before cell phones started going off around us and the lady sitting next to us had six missed calls and none of us heard her cell phone go off. The girl behind us whose sister alerted her told us her sister tried to get her for over half an hour and couldn't get through.
Your guess is as good as mine about shutting down cell phones.
There was speculation from the Madrid and London bombings that cell phones were used as triggers... either by using electric pulse from the alarm on the phone or the electrical pulse from the ringer. so for them to jam the towers or shut them down is not a far off thought... right now though it is all speculation... until more evidence comes in. but my suspicon is the brought the towers offline to prevent panic and any other possible triggers.
just my $.02