The 5 most common “Misconceptions” About Cellular Service

1. I can’t make a call in my home (or office). My carrier’s service is terrible.

    Don’t be too quick to blame the carrier……. Many times when a signal is weak or unavailable indoors, moving outside the building will solve the problem. That’s because modern building materials like coated thermal glass and radiant barriers in roofs and walls make homes and office buildings energy efficient, but they also prevent cell signals from penetrating the structure.

2. I work (or live) in the heart of a major metro area, so why is my cell service so spotty?

    Many people think of poor signal as a rural issue…….. But some big city downtown areas are notorious for unreliable cell service. As discussed above, cell signals may have trouble penetrating the building. Surrounding structures can block signals from reaching a location, even when the nearest cell site is relatively close. And, of course, there are lots of people and devices trying to use the available cellular networks simultaneously. When we consider these factors, it’s easy to understand why urban signal can be spotty.

3. I can’t get a reliable signal out at the job site. It’s too far away from the nearest cell tower.

    Not necessarily. Distance may be the problem, but lots of things can block cell signal. Natural terrain features as well as man-made obstructions like bridges, power lines, and buildings can interfere with connectivity…….. Even obstacles people might never suspect, like tree leaves and dust in the air, can diffuse the radio frequency waves that carry your cellular communications.

4. My phone shows two bars, so why can’t I pick up incoming calls?

    Unfortunately, the bars cannot always be trusted……… The bar display is intended as a graphical approximation, not an actual measurement, of the strength of signal your device is receiving. Most of the time the number of bars we see is a pretty good representation of current signal strength. But the sensitivity of the bar display varies widely between device manufacturers and models. So sometimes the bars can be deceptive.

5. There’s nothing I can do to improve poor cell signal.

    We all know this is not true. Usually people have one or more options available to enhance a weak, unreliable signal. Signal Boosters of NC employs technologies that can improve signal in buildings and vehicles, and in urban areas as well as rural.