Network problem

 Understanding mobile signal blackspots

 Signal blackspots explained

No matter what network you’re on, your mobile signal can sometimes be less than perfect. But mobile signal issues aren’t always caused by how far you are from the nearest mobile phone mast.

Sometimes they happen because of the location of the building you’re in, or the building type itself. We call these areas ‘blackspots' – and all mobile phone networks around the world suffer from them. You can experience them no matter where you live, even in cities with lots of mobile phone masts.

What causes them?

Here are the main causes of mobile blackspots:

• Your location - if you're a long way from your network's mobile phone masts, your signal might be weaker.
• Your environment - buildings, hills and living in a basement or tower block can all stop mobile signals.
• Your phone - some phones are just better at picking up signals than others.

A summary of the causes of bad cell reception:

• Large distance from the nearest cell towers, found in rural areas and offshore
• Signal blocked by large structures – large buildings, mountains, tunnels, trees etc
• Construction materials which block cell phone signal
• High density urban areas have many low powered towers which emit weak signal that cannot penetrate buildings
• Network congestion – poor signal during times of unexpected network load such as large conferences, music festivals, local emergency situations etc.

  Report a Network Issue

    Sorry to hear you're having an issue using our network. Before
reporting your issue, please check your coverage for any temporary
issues we're already aware of, and to check that we've got coverage
where you are. Once you've done this, you can get in touch (ideally by
phone) if you'd like to let us know what's going on and we'll ask you
some questions and run some diagnostics to try and fix it.


My phone isn't working as it should, and there are no temporary faults
in my area. What do I do?


Before anything else, please try rebooting your phone. If you're still
having issues, It's important you let us know about this kind of issue
as soon as you can by getting in touch (ideally by phone). When you
call, it'd be really useful if you already know the answers to the
following questions:


    Which phone, tablet, dongle or computer are you using?
    What's going wrong?
    Is the issue location specific, and if so, where did the issue occur?
    When did you first notice the issue?
    Does the issue relate to sending or receiving data or picture messages?
        If so, have you checked your data settings to ensure they
haven't changed?
        Are you able to access internet sites with your phone browser?
        Are you able to send and receive emails?
        Are you able to use any of your applications?
    Have you tried to reboot your phone?
    Have you seen this issue before?


There's a temporary fault in my area. When will it be fixed?

You can get in touch with our customer services team and we'll get you
as much information as possible. It goes without saying that our
network partner want to get issues fixed as quickly as possible, but
sometimes there are delays outside of their immediate control. For
example, it might be necessary to get permission from a council or
private land owner to access a cell site, purchase a specialist part
and wait for it to be delivered or complete further testing and
diagnostics before fixing the issue.

 

What can you do about them?

We understand that it can be frustrating if you can't get a good mobile signal. That's why we do everything we can to give you a reliable service in as many places as possible. But if you do want a better signal at home, choose network Sure signal.  It gives you a great 3G mobile signal, no matter where you live.

  Weak or patchy cell phone signal in your home or office can be the source of much frustration. At best, it’s a mild chronic annoyance – and at worst, unreliable cell coverage can end up being a serious problem in a crisis situation. Despite cellular networks improving their coverage every year, weak, patchy and lost signals are common enough to be a significant issue for many people.

More than twenty years have passed since the inception of cell phones and during these years, the ownership of cell phones has increased massively. It is at a point where 80% of the world's population has cell phone coverage. However, although the cell phone usage has increased, but the technology that is required to provide enough signal has not quite kept up with the demand. This is one of the primary reasons why people experience dropped calls and poor signal. - See more at: file:///C:/Users/manoj%20singh%20rawat/Desktop/UK/network/How%20To%20Improve%20The%20Signal%20On%20Cell%20Phone%20-%20How%20to%20Improve%20Mobile%20Phone%20Reception.htm#sthash.wC7GCrfd.dpuf

 

More than twenty years have passed since the inception of cell phones and during these years, the ownership of cell phones has increased massively. It is at a point where 80% of the world's population has cell phone coverage. However, although the cell phone usage has increased, but the technology that is required to provide enough signal has not quite kept up with the demand. This is one of the primary reasons why people experience dropped calls and poor signal. - See more at: file:///C:/Users/manoj%20singh%20rawat/Desktop/UK/network/How%20To%20Improve%20The%20Signal%20On%20Cell%20Phone%20-%20How%20to%20Improve%20Mobile%20Phone%20Reception.htm#sthash.wC7GCrfd.dpuf

More than twenty years have passed since the inception of cell phones and during these years, the ownership of cell phones has increased massively. It is at a point where 80% of the world's population has cell phone coverage. However, although the cell phone usage has increased, but the technology that is required to provide enough signal has not quite kept up with the demand. This is one of the primary reasons why people experience dropped calls and poor signal. - See more at: file:///C:/Users/manoj%20singh%20rawat/Desktop/UK/network/How%20To%20Improve%20The%20Signal%20On%20Cell%20Phone%20-%20How%20to%20Improve%20Mobile%20Phone%20Reception.htm#sthash.wC7GCrfd.dpufUnderstanding signal fluctuations

Signal fluctuations can be seen on most handset displays. Signal strength for any wireless network will constantly fluctuate. Different factors such as weather, other radio frequencies in the air, the device's software, and tower proximity may cause signal fluctuation.

Depending on network conditions (demand, capacity, signal strength), a device may switch from one tower to another tower without changing location. If the demand on a very close tower is high, the device may move from the very close tower (strong signal) to a further away tower (weaker signal). If a marginal 3G coverage area overlaps with a strong 2G coverage, the device may switch to 2G when the 3G signal drops off. Due to network conditions, this issue may be unavoidable in certain locations.

Battery- You might think that your cell phone has enough battery power but it uses considerably more battery power while connecting a call than when it is on the stand-by mode. If you find your cell phone is having signal problems, try and keep the battery charged.

Landscape - This can be another reason why the reception of your cell phone is weak. The varied landscape like buildings and other such structures can cut off the signal of the cell phone. Instead of making calls from inside buildings, try and move outside to a window. If, on the other hand you have problems getting a reception in the street, try and move towards an intersection as these have better network connection.

Cellular Repeater - A cell phone repeater will pick up low cell signals with its antenna and boost the signal and send it back to your cell phone. If you are having problems in one particular location, then you can install a cellular repeater. However, please note that for the repeater to work, atleast 2 bars of signal is required in the cell phone. These can not only boost the signal strength, but can also improve the battery life as well as the data download speeds.

Upgrade the antenna - If your cell phone comes with an external antenna, you can try and change it to get a better reception. Although changing the antenna won't boost your cell phone signal as much as a repeater, but these are inexpensive and hence can be a practical way of bettering the reception.

Change network - You can also try and change the network. Since all the networks work on their own frequencies, changing to other network can boost that dipping signal strength of your cell phone. Most cellular networks allow you to transfer your phone number when you change your provider, so that is not going to be a major problem.

Holding the phone correctly - While holding the mobile phone, don't hold it in such a way that your fingers block the antenna. This can result in poor signal strength and ultimately the call will drop. Always hold the mobile phone upright; instead if you hold the phone in an unorthodox way, like on its side or upside down, then the signal strength will get affected considerably. 

Tips

• Weather: Weather can also play havoc with the cell phone reception. Arid, humid and lightning can cause a reduction in the cell phone signal.
• Car Amplifiers:  Another interesting way to improve the cell phone reception in your car is to boost it with a 12V battery or a cigarette lighter adapter. These can help to amplify the signal strength of your cell phone in your car.

- See more at: file:///C:/Users/manoj singh rawat/Desktop/UK/network/How To Improve The Signal On Cell Phone - How to Improve Mobile Phone Reception.htm#sthash.zYgxgzgL.dpuf

Can You Cancel your Mobile Phone Contract if You Can't Get Signal?

Being stuck without signal can be frustrating, but does it mean you can ditch your network and break your mobile contract without charge? Here’s when you can cancel your contract without facing a hefty fee.

For thousands of people having a mobile phone is an essential item, allowing you to make calls & texts, access emails and the internet on the go – but, even the latest iPhone or Android is useless if you don’t have any mobile coverage.

So if you find that you can’t use your mobile due to poor network coverage are you within your rights to cancel your contract early?

Are mobile networks legally obliged to cancel your contract?

Under current UK law a mobile network is not required to cancel a mobile contract without charge due to poor network coverage.

However, the Communications Consumer Panel has recommended to Ofcom that all mobile network providers offer a 14 day cancellation period to protect consumers – whether this will be implemented in the near future is yet to be seen.

When can you cancel?

Although poor signal or network coverage isn’t a strong enough reason to get out of your mobile contract by law on its own, if you find that you’re unable to use your phone due to poor coverage you may be able to cancel you contract in certain circumstances.

During the cooling off period

Under current UK law you can cancel a mobile contract within the first 7 days without the need to give a reason to the provider if you have either:

• Ordered online
• Ordered by phone
• Ordered by post

However, this 7 day window does not automatically apply to contracts purchased in store, where your ability to cancel will depend on the store's returns and cancellations policy.

Many network providers do include an additional cooling off period with their mobile phone contracts, where they can be cancelled freely without any charge.

This ‘cooling off’ period varies from provider to provider but is unlikely to be longer than a month.

While this should give you time to test your new mobile receives suitable network coverage it also means that if you encounter a problem that you should contact your mobile network immediately.

If your contract includes a network guarantee

Some mobile networks offer a guarantee of acceptable network coverage within their mobile contracts, allowing you to cancel if you find that you don’t have the signal that you expected.

However, this guarantee is not offered by every mobile network provider so you will need to check the contract terms and conditions before you apply.

If a rival provider will buy you out

If you find that you can’t cancel your contract due to poor network coverage without incurring hefty cancellation fees, you may be able to approach a rival network to ask them to buy you out (either directly or via a high street mobile phone retailer).

Essentially this would involve the rival network paying off your current mobile phone contract in exchange for you taking out a fixed length contract with them.

Whether or not this will make financial sense will depend on how long you have left to run on your existing mobile contract and how much you would be charged in early exit fees.

Although approaching a rival network in this way could enable you to avoid substantial contractual fees, or paying for a contract you can’t use, you could find that you have less bargaining power with the new provider as a result and may not get the best contract possible.

What to do if you can't get out of your contract

If you find that you're unable to cancel your contract but still unable to use your phone your options are limited.

However, the best course of action will often be to ask your network provider to drop you on to the cheapest contract option that they're able to (or pay as you go if they're willing). This way you'll be minimising the cost of keeping a contract you can't use.

Needless to say it's still worth keeping your SIM card and using it whenever you can so that you do make use of it when you're able to.

How to complain

If you feel you have been miss-sold your mobile contract or been given misleading information or promises regarding mobile network coverage then you may be able to complain to one of the two telecoms dispute resolution schemes.

Every mobile operator in the UK must belong to either Cisas or the Communication Ombudsman Service and they have the power to award compensation to you the consumer of up to £5,000 if your complaint is up held.

However, before you take your complaint to either service you will need to have complained directly to your network provider and been through their in house complaints procedure.

There is also no guarantee that your complaint will be supported by either the Ciasas or the Communication Ombudsman Service.

Prevention is better than cure

To avoid unnecessary hassle cancelling your mobile contract due to poor network coverage, it makes sense to thoroughly check the reported coverage level in your area before you apply.

All the major UK mobile network providers publish maps of the UK detailing the areas that their networks cover, which you can use to check the signal strength at your most common locations, such as your home and work.

If you find that either area, or any another location you spend a large amount of time, isn’t covered then you may want to look for a mobile contract from an alternative mobile network.

There is a full list of network coverage maps available on the Ofcom website.(reference money.co,uk)

Help & how to

What to expect

• If you move to another room, or closer to a window, the signal strength may increase and stop fluctuating.
• If your device supports Wi-Fi Calling and you have Wi-Fi in your home, this is a great solution to take advantage of for fluctuating signal when indoors.

 

The Dead Zone

• One of the most common reasons for a weak cellphone signal is if you are too far away from a cellphone tower. Sometimes, you may find yourself in between two towers and still unable to pick up a signal. This is known as a dead spot. Dead spots -- or dead zones -- can also occur when you are driving through a tunnel. The tunnel will cause your signal to be blocked. In some cases, it becomes harder to hear a conversation and in other cases the call will be dropped entirely. Some parts of the world -- such as rural parts -- just have bad reception overall. Try using a Wi-Fi signal instead of a GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) for your cellphone.

  
  

  Particularly frustrating is the presence of a “dead zone”. Dead zones are small areas, sometimes even in populated, well-connected cities that are devoid of any cellular signal. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a dead zone in your home or place of work, you’ll find yourself having to go upstairs, downstairs or outside to communicate via cell phone, which can be a frustrating drain on your time and energy.

  
  

  Why do Some Areas have Weak Signal Strength?

  There are a couple of reasons why you might have a weak cell phone signal in a given area. Cell phone signals are transmitted via radio waves, and to make a call, your phone needs to send and receive radio waves to and from the nearest base station. This is a transmission outpost set up by your cellular network. The radio waves don’t need a completely clear path to your cell phone, but if there are large, solid obstacles between your cell phone and the base station (such as mountains! ) then you may have trouble getting a signal. The strength of the signal also depends on how close you are to the nearest base station – the further away you are, the weaker the signal will be. Cell phone signal strength can be an issue if you live in a rural or remote location.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Causes of Poor Signal in Mobile Homes

  There are typically two causes of poor service in mobile homes: distance from the closest cell tower and the materials that the mobile home is made of. We'll explore each in more depth.

  Distance from the Closest Cell Tower

  Mobile home parks are typically situated in more rural areas, which often means that the closest cell tower is a good distance away from the home. This can result in a weak signal outside of the mobile home and very weak to nonexistent inside. Additionally, rugged geography, such as hills and mountains, in between the tower and your mobile home can also significantly affect the signal strength you receive.

  Construction Materials

  The materials used in the construction of a mobile home vary significantly. Older mobile homes routinely used forms of sheet metal to line the outsides while new mobile homes incorporate energy saving materials, such as window tinting and new forms of insulation, all of which can cause significant problems for cell phone signal to penetrate.

  
  

  
  

  Building Construction

  • Having a strong signal outside but a weaker signal inside is a common problem. Certain buildings can cause cellphone signals to grow weak due to the materials they are constructed with. If the roof of a building has lead in it, the lead can attenuate -- or block -- a cellphone signal. If the walls or floors of a building or constructed with thick concrete, the cellphone signal can be affected in a negative way. Metallic window screens and roofs that have fiberglass insulation can also negatively impact a cellphone signal. If you find yourself struggling to find a signal within a building, try stepping outside to complete your call.
     

  
  

  Batteries And Antenna

  • Battery life can have an impact on your cellphone signal, regardless if you're indoors or out. Even if you have enough battery power to place a call, you might not have enough battery power to find a signal, causing the call to be dropped. Always make sure you have battery power in your phone -- at least two bars -- before attempting to place an important call. The antenna built into your phone can also cause a weak signal if it is not strong enough. To remedy this situation, see if your electronics store can replace your antenna with a stronger one.

  Blame The Network

  • Although they're not always to blame, the network -- or carrier -- that you sign up with can be the root of a weak cellphone signal problem. Some carriers simply do not have enough cell towers up and running to offer a consistent cellphone signal wherever you roam. If you are experiencing a constant weak signal, try switching to another company. If this doesn't work, invest in a cellphone signal booster, available at online electronics retailers, which is designed to increase the power of your service provider's signal strength.

  
  

  
  

  What Causes Weak Indoor Signal?

  Outdoor Coverage vs. Indoor Coverage

  Great coverage outside doesn't always mean perfect coverage inside. Outdoor coverage (the macro network) has improved steadily over time with more cell sites and improved dropped call rates. But in-building coverage - in offices, commercial buildings and residences, can often be impacted by things beyond your carrier's control.

  Building Materials and Changing Networks Conditions

  Our cell phone numbers and email addresses have increasingly become a way of staying connected no matter where we are. But building materials like concrete, cinderblock, steel, brick and tinted glass, and building locations in shadowed areas, can limit the penetration of cellular and PCS signals into your location. Even changes in weather and environmental conditions outside, such tree foliage changes, or terrain can affect the signal inside.

  
  

  Distance from the Closest Cell Tower

  Carriers provide cell coverage through a network of strategically placed cellular towers. Ideally, whenever you're within this network, your mobile device will automatically connect with the closest tower, and as you move, will continue hopping to the next closest tower. Unfortunately, as you get towards the edge of your carrier's coverage area, there won't be new towers to hop to, and your mobile device will start to experience degraded signal the further it is from the nearest tower. You'll reach a point where your mobile device is too far from the tower to maintain a consistent connection, and you'll experience dropped calls.

  
  

  Obstructions Causing Interference

  While cell signal passes through the air with minimal trouble, every object it meets between the tower and your mobile device causes some degree of interference. Geographical elements, such as hills, mountains, and trees can cause major signal issues, as well as building materials, like metal siding, concrete, and wire mesh. Additionally, the increased use of energy efficient products, such as radiant barriers and window tinting, have contributed to the degree of cell phone reception problems in new homes.

  While either one of these factors are enough to cause dropped calls and poor reception, the combination of the two all but guarantees problems. Next we'll look at how a cell phone signal booster is designed to deal with both of these factors.

  How to Get Better Cell Phone Reception

  Figure out what’s causing the poor signal. There are many factors that play into your phone’s reception — your wireless carrier, the phone itself, the materials your house or car are made out of, and even your geographic location all play a role in determining your signal strength. Do your best to narrow it down to which one is causing the most trouble.

  
  

  Move to a better location. If you have crappy reception inside your home or office, but it drastically improves whenever you go outside, there’s a good chance that the building is impeding your signal. If you’re outside and still can’t get good reception, try moving away from tall buildings, trees and anything else that could cause interference. If you’re in a rural area, try moving to a higher elevation.

  
  

  Make sure your battery is charged. When batteries get drained past a certain point, they often have enough power to make calls, but not enough power to search for adequate reception.

  
  

  Perform a signal refresh. Sometimes your phone gets stuck searching for the nearest cell tower, and all it needs is a signal refresh to establish a strong connection. This can be done by rebooting your phone completely, or by switching on airplane mode (if your phone has one) for a second and then turning it back off.

  
  

  Check your network’s coverage map to make sure you’re in a good area. Just about every card-carrying wireless provider (Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile) will offer a detailed map of the areas their network covers. If coverage is spotty in your area, consider switching networks

  
  

  
  

  High building has a strong shielding effect on mobile signal receiving, Signal block and weak areas are largely exist in the basement . bottom floors or elevator of those building. And in the middle floor there is ping-pong effect, frequent switching or pilot pollution,mobile station poor call quality: in addition, in some buildings, while phone calls normally but users density,cause base station signal channel congestion and hard to call. For this Network Status to build a an indoor coverage system can effectively solve these problems. Indoor coverage system is a successful solution mainly for indoor subscribers to improve the mobile signal weak or block area problems. Indoor coverage principle is for the use of an indoor antenna distribution system to coupling signal from Base Station and distribute for indoor coverage, thus to ensure an ideal signal coverage.

  
  

  Tunnel Coverage Solution
  Sheltered by Mountains, nearly almost the tunnels are mobile signal block area.it is necessary to cover uninterruptedly, the main problem of Road and Rail coverage is : Network signal is in zonal distribution, Mobile station switching,re-election speedily and frequently, The Doppler effect caused by terminal high-speed move and so on .

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Dead Spots

  
  Have you ever walked into the store of your wireless carrier and taken a look at that big colorful map  on the wall? That map shows the areas of the country that your carrier covers, and it also reveals where the service gaps occur. In our lingo, those gaps in cell phone coverage are called dead zones: areas where you will find yourself waving your phone in the air aimlessly trying to get signal. From a technical standpoint, dead spots are zones within the range of a radio transmitter where little or no radio signal can be received.

  When a cell phone user encounters a dead spot, the cell phone is not able to transmit to a nearby cell tower, base station or repeater. When a cell phone enters a dead zone, the mobile phone is considered to be in a state of outage -- a period when no system is available and cell phone signal is unreachable.

  

  
  Dead zones occur in areas where the signal between the mobile device and cell site antenna is in some way blocked. These areas include hilly terrains, excessive foliage, or physical distance. Dead spots occur because geographical locations often limit a network's ability to set up and transmit a strong signal.

  The term “dead spot” does not only apply to an area without a service provider. In fact, dead spots often appear in areas where wireless carriers offer coverage. This is because even with a network subscription, the placement of antennas, limited network density, interference with other cell sites, and topography can cause weak wireless coverage and reduce your ability to get adequate cell phone signal.

  Even more so, cell phone signals are not reliable at times. A phone transmits on radio waves, which are easily attenuated or significantly weakened as radio waves travel through the air. Instead of suffering with poor or no cell phone reception, a cell phone signal booster will take the weak, yet still transmitting signal and enhance or amplify it. So even if you are in an area plagued with dead spots, a cell signal booster will ensure that you don’t experience poor reception.

  
  

  
  

  Obstructions

  Obstructions happen when objects get in the way of your cell phone signal. An obstruction is an on object interferes with the quality of the cell phone signal between your mobile phone or data card and the cell tower. The blockage is caused because of the density or makeup of the structure weakens the signal as it attempts to pass through the object. The denser an object is, the more powerful a signal is needed to travel through it.

  Obstructions will often cause your cell phone signal to weaken as it travels through the obstruction. In  most cases, by the time that signal reaches a mobile device in the vicinity of the obstruction, the signal will already be too weak to provide the user with substantial or even usable service. Even if you are located relatively close to a cell tower, obstructions will still impair the ability of your mobile phone to connect to the network. The most effective way to solve obstruction issues is with a cell phone signal booster.

  Building Materials 

  For the most part, buildings are built to last. As such, the materials used during the construction are stable and dense. Thick concrete and steel significantly block cell phone signals because the makeup of the materials makes it hard for a signal to pass through.

  A common example of building materials that affect cellular transmission is a building covered in steel or aluminum sheets. Steel or aluminum sheets cause an electrical ground, known as Faraday cage. A Faraday cage creates a shield that repels all radio signals because the metal causes the electric charges  to be distributed such that they cancel the electrical waves inside the cage.

  Another material that causes poor reception is UV reflective glazing on windows. UV reflective glazings are becoming an increasingly popular way to block ultra-violet waves that can destroy your indoor furnishings, reduce glare and increase privacy, shield you from breaking glass and protect you from solar heat. Unfortunately, however, this wonder-shield also blocks cell phone signal. Although you may have strong wireless coverage just outside the window, once inside, you will find that you have little to no reception.

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Insulation

  Insulation is another factor that causes poor cell phone reception. Insulation prevents a signal from passing through the building. Insulation has become a problem for cell phone users as of late because technological advances have been made to insulate structures in order to keep energy costs down. While this improvement keeps energy costs lower, it is a very common cause of poor reception. In this case, a cell phone signal booster will strengthen your mobile signal, allowing the network to reach your cell phone inside the structure. There are two main types of obstructions that most cell phone users encounter. 

  The first are obstructions that block a signal from reaching your structure. One way to consider how a cell signal booster solves this issue is to think of a booster as an being a signal detour. Since your signal cannot pass through the obstruction, it is best to reroute the signal. An external antenna will receive the outside signal and pass the signal via coaxial cables to the amplifier to be enhanced.

  Once the signal reaches the inside of the building, an indoor antenna will transmit the signal, granting you strong cell reception. With a signal booster in place, you will once again be able  to make calls, write emails, and serf the internet, eliminating the adverse effects that the object is causing  .

  The second type of obstructions occurs within the structure and inhibit a signal from getting to designated area. In this case, a cell phone signal booster will take the existing signal that has been weakened by an obstruction, pass that signal from an antenna to the amplifier and enhance the

   signal, making the signal strong enough to travel through dense objects.In this way, the user in the area will be able to receive a strong signal because the obstruction no longer affects the strength of the signal

  Problems due to weak mobile signals:
  
  1. Your phone goes offline occasionally and people are unable to contact you. You may not even notice the problem till you happen to look at the phone.
  
  2. Difficulty in connecting with other numbers, call drops, poor voice quality and inability of one of the parties to hear the person on the other side are all indications of signal problems.
  
  3. Mobile data connection frequently drops or works at very slow speeds.
  
  4. Your phone uses more power when the signal quality is poor which means shorter talk and standby times. Your phone will need frequent recharging. Eventually this will lower the battery life as well.
  
  5. The higher power used by the phone exposes you to more radiation. Mobile phones are designed to transmit at the least possible power levels, just enough to reach the nearest mobile mast. You will notice that your ears are becoming uncomfortably hot even during short conversations.
  
  Fortunately, better solutions rather than positioning your mobile at strategic places like window sills and running outdoors or towards a window whenever you make or receive a call are available. 

  
  

  
  

  Weak mobile phone signals square measure caused by varied reasons. Building size affects signal strength by attenuating the signal and interference by objects that mirror the signal within the building is additionally answerable. this can be common in giant buildings like factories and is that the same within the basements of massive buildings. In these things mobile phone signal boosters with external amplifiers is mounted at varied locations on the building to enhance signal reception.

  
  

  Some materials utilized in building construction additionally attenuate the signal. recent buildings that have lead in their roofing materials block signal reception. Buildings with terribly thick concrete walls and floors fibreglass insulated roofs and bimetallic window screens square measure legendary to dam radio signals. Buildings with such materials so need mobile phone signal boosters mounted on them to amplify the mobile phone signals and therefore enable users to move freely without concern regarding born calls.

  Cell phone signal dead zones can even be caused by signals taking totally different ways and bouncing off buildings. These signals then square measure transmitted as damaging signals and need directional mobile phone signal antennas to align them and transmit them properly. this can be to stop them from touching the signal frequency ranges employed by cell phones.

  
  

  It's our way of staying connected, which is why dropped calls, dead zones and poor cell phone reception are so frustrating.

  
  

  A cellular network is composed of many different cellular towers that your phone communicates with in order to make a phone call. Your phone automatically connects to the nearest tower when you're making a call and continues to communicate with that tower as long as it remains the closest one in range. If you're on the move though, whether walking, driving, or other, then you'll likely move out of the range of your closest tower and a handoff will occur to move your call to the new closest tower. Most of the time this handoff will occur without a problem, but occasionally there will be a complication and your call will be dropped during the handoff. That complication could be due to extreme cell traffic on either one of the towers, glitches in the backend software, power outages, and more. These are all problems on the side of the carrier, and while an inconvenience, you're usually able to make your call again without problem.

  Another common reason for dropped calls is when you encounter an area with no reception, known as a "dead zone". Dead zones exist for a few different reasons. In remote areas, there are wide swaths of dead zone where there is no coverage available from cell towers because there are very few inhabitants or travelers. Desert areas are a great example of an environment where you'll find a large number of dead zones. In more populated areas, dead zones can still exist due to improperly aligned towers, which result in areas not receiving proper coverage, as well as in locations which are obstructed by obstacles like hills, mountains, trees, large buildings, etc. Finally, dead zones are frequently found underground, such as in subway lines, basements, and parking garages.

  
  

  Apart from dead zones, your local environment can have an effect on dropped calls too. The main cause of bad reception in your local area is most likely the type of construction materials used in your home or office. Materials like wire mesh, sheet metal, types of insulation, reinforced concrete, and more all contribute to signal degradation and loss. If a digital cell phone signal becomes too degraded and enough data is lost in transit, then there is a high likelihood that the connection will be terminated and the call dropped, even if your phone shows that it still has a bar of signal.

  Finally, your cell phone itself can be the cause for dropped calls. If your cell phone has a damaged antenna, you may experience poor cell phone reception, data loss and frequent dropped calls. Dropped calls and other problems can also occur if your phone's roaming software has not been updated recently or if it has been corrupted in any way. Finally, a cell phone requires a quality power supply to maintain a stable connection during a call, so if your battery is running out, the likelihood of a dropped call is also increased.

  
  

  Weak cell phone signals are caused by various reasons. Building size affects signal strength by attenuating the signal and interference by objects that reflect the signal inside the building is also to blame. This is common in large buildings such as factories and is the same in the basements of big buildings. In these situations Cell phone signal boosters with external amplifiers can be mounted at various locations on the building to improve signal reception.

  
  

  Some materials used in building construction also attenuate the signal. Old buildings which have lead in their roofing materials block signal reception. Buildings with very thick concrete walls and floors, fiberglass insulated roofs and metallic window screens are known to block radio signals. Buildings with such materials therefore require cell phone signal boosters mounted on them to amplify the cell phone signals and thus allow users to roam freely without worrying about dropped calls.

  
  

  Cell phone signal dead zones can also be caused by signals taking different paths and bouncing off buildings. These signals then are transmitted as destructive signals and require directional cell phone signal antennas to align them and transmit them properly. This is to prevent them from affecting the signal frequency ranges used by cell phones. 

  
  

  
  

  
  

  Poor Mobile Network Coverage Explained - Weak Signal

  What is a Signal Blackspot?

  A phone reception or coverage blackspot is generally defined as a geographic area that experiences reduced mobile phone signal due to factors other than being too far from a cell tower. Blackspots have a similar impact as being too far from a cell tower and are typically associated with symptoms such as:

  • Call drop-outs
  • Digital garbling/noise during a call
  • Difficulty hearing other caller
  • Highly variable signal
  • Slow mobile internet
  • Internet timeouts
  • Increased battery usage

  Causes

  There are several causes for coverage blackspots, some of which can be planned for and impacts mitigated/minimised by the network operator, and others that are invisible to the network. To help demonstrate the impact of the different causes we're going to use a real world cell tower and model performance under different conditions.

  Terrain

  Terrain geography is the number one cause for coverage blackspots. Both being part of the electromagnetic spectrum, radio waves and light waves act the same way when it comes to obstructions. Moving an object into the path of a light beam causes a shadow, likewise moving an object into the path of radio waves also results in a signal shadow - it can help to visualise a cell tower as a powerful spotlight.

  

  If you've ever cast a shadow you've no doubt noticed the closer an object is to a surface the crisper it's shadow becomes, the further you move the object away from the surface the fuzzier the shadow becomes. The cause of this effect is something known as knife-edge diffraction, where a sudden obstruction causes electromagnetic waves to bend inwards to the shadowed region. If you'd like to understand a little deeper why this happens please check out this tutorial here.

  If you like your maths the intensity of light, or in our case RF field strength, at any given point along the shadowed region follows a log-normal process and for this reason we call signal reduction due to terrain shielding 'log-normal fading'. As you may suspect the amount a radio wave bends depends on it's frequency - the lower the frequency the more it will bend (or in terms of a log-normal process - the greater it's standard deviation).

  In the following images we've run a series of coverage simulations at common frequencies to help visualise the diffraction process. This location is a real Telstra cell tower with a 90 degree (Argus CPX410R) sector antenna transmitting 330 degrees (north north-west). The below four images show 156MHz, 477MHz, 885MHz, and 2147MHz, at identical output powers.

  In the above situation a large coverage blackspot is caused by the cell tower's placement, leaving those living at the base of the hill completely without phone coverage. It's immediately obvious that while the shadowed area stays the same, its effects are minimised by each frequencies level of diffraction.

  You might also notice that the lower the frequency the hotter the colours, this is because lower frequencies suffer less 'free space path loss' allowing them to travel greater distances. This greater coverage distance and reduced log-normal fading is one of the major pushes towards operating 4G networks on lower frequencies like the 700MHz Digital Dividend band recently purchased.

  Non-Terrain Obstructions

  Objects along the path of a radio transmission are a big contributor to channel fading. Physical obstructions such as buildings and trees are the typical culprits, and may act in a similar manner to terrain depending on the materials level of penetrability. Physical objects also create a multipath environment - transmissions that bounce off objects at an acute angle cause signal reflections (ie echos) called multipath signals. Having travelled a further distance than a straight line transmission these signals are delayed (longer propagation delay), and to a simple receiver would be nothing more than interference. However thanks to clever technology used in cellular communications, multipath signals can recovered by a RAKE combiner. To digress quickly, a RAKE receiver consists of a series of sub-radios which read the incoming signal at different delay periods (typically one chip in WCDMA) and then combined to result in a higher quality signal. Unfortunately not all delayed signals can be successfully reinterpreted - if the phase delay is within chip (or within the RAKE's finger) the signal will become interference.

  Those of us operating mobile devices inside buildings or behind the cover of dense trees owe a great deal of thanks to our device's RAKE receiver. Of course the best method of combating the impact of multipath is to relocate our device's antenna to a position that is less impacted by path obstructions. This can often be as simple as trialling a few different positions - for example those of us placing an antenna on the roof should consider moving as little as a few metres either side and reassess signal quality (through RSCP, RSRP, Ec/Io, or SINR metrics).

  In-Building Penetration

  Experiencing poor reception indoors, despite ample coverage outside the house/office is a clear indication that the building itself may be the culprit. Dense or metal-based building materials can reflect or absorb RF signals, reducing the level of signal that reaches indoors. Unfortunately during building construction indoor coverage is rarely considered, in fact materials that insulate best and provide most structural strength are typically the worst offenders for reducing indoor coverage. These materials can include:

  • Window Insulation/Tinting
  • Foil-based Roof Insulation
  • Metal Roofing (eg. Colorbond)
  • Concrete & Brick
  • Metal Support Structures
  • Large Metallic Surfaces (eg. Garage Roller Doors)
  • Copper Plumbing & Wiring
  Thankfully due to the presence of a strong signal outside the building it's usually not difficult to resolve this type of 'blackspot'. An external antenna is usually positioned on the top of the building with it's cable run inside to a Smart Repeater unit for mobile phones, or patch lead to connect a 3G/4G modem.
  Small to medium sized buildings expand on this principle by using multiple Smart Repeaters or antennas to extend coverage to mutiple floors or combine several repeater units on one floor to increase capacity. Larger complexes such as high-rise buildings and shopping centres use a more complicated "Distributed Antenna System" solution involving a rooftop donor antenna connected into a basement amplifier and optical transfer system, which then routes signal to a series of ceiling antennas. As this type of system involves active amplification it must be licensed and organised through the carrier, and can cost anywhere from $50,000 to $1,000,000 depending on complexity.
  For further information on organising a carrier-licensed Distributed Antenna System, we'd encourage you to contact our partner RFI Wireless on 1300 000 734.

  Antenna Angle & Tilt

  In some cases the distance to the cell tower isn't too far and there aren't any major terrain obstructions, but signal is still weak outside. In these cases the culprit is typically the angling of the broadcasting antenna - most rural cell towers use three directional broadcasting antennas each focusing signal to cover a 120 degree sector.
  More basic cell towers only have one omnidirectional transmission antenna that services every user north, south, east, and west (omnidirectional antennas cover the full 360 degree radius). However as each transmitter has a capacity limit (in 3G systems each additional user has a negative impact on the allocated radio channel's SINR), having one transmitter covering the entire area greatly limits the number of users and speed available. Instead towers that serve a large area or large volume of users have three transmission antennas installed to triple capacity. Intra-cell interference limits the effectiveness of this technique, which is why you typically don't see more than four sectors in operation.
  A transmitting antenna can be tilted to face below the horizon to focus their power at a smaller coverage area, creating a micro-cell. This is often used in high density areas to allow the carrier to pack more cell towers in to a smaller area without causing co-channel interference.
  The issue of antenna angling arises when a carrier does not deploy enough sectors to cover off the full 360 degree radius. Occasionally the carrier may deploy sector antennas favouring a particular direction, providing increased capacity in that direction at a cost of another area. In other cases the carrier might deploy two sectors along a highway, one facing in each traffic direction to provide longer range and capacity along the path of the highway. Unfortunately in these cases those on the edge or outside the coverage sector experience diminished signal strength due to the sector antenna focusing transmission power in a different direction.
  Cell Overlap - Co-Channel Interference
  When two cell towers are receivable from one location, a mobile phone may experience reduced overall signal due to an effect called co-channel interference, or sometimes called crosstalk. Because both cell towers transmit different information on the same frequency band, the combination of the two radio waves makes it more difficult for your device to listen in to what one of the cell towers are saying. This follows the same principle as having a conversation in a crowded room. Techniques are used to mitigate the impact of co-channel interference, LTE for example uses a clever scrambling mechanism to shift subcarrier frequencies or symbols to reduce the probability of collisions, and in some deployments Inter-Cell Interference Coordination (ICIC) to schedule frequency allocations. A raised noise floor is to some degree unavoidable, especially on fully loaded cells, however careful cell placement limits the extent of co-channel interference experienced in the real world.

  Cell Overlap - Pilot Pollution

  In mobile networks the presence of multiple cell towers causes more than simple co-channel interference. Each cell tower transmits a uniquely coded pilot signal called the CPICH which transmits a constant pattern of data at a predefined power, allowing a mobile to decide between towers by measuring signal strength and quality. The presence of two or more equally dominant cell towers results in your mobile phone or modem hearing equally strong CPICH signals which can lead to your device constantly swapping between towers (a process coined 'ping pong handoff').reference-http://telcoantennas.com.au/site/frequently-asked-questions

  How to access your phone's signal meter

  As you might have noticed the conventional 'signal bar' meter isn't really an accurate representation of how good your signal is. The normal meter (although fine for the average phone user) often differs between phone models, differs between base reference levels (what we consider 1 bar), and really only describes how much total signal your phone is receiving - no indication of quality.

  So to give us a more accurate readout most phones already have the capacity to display signal in an absolute measure. In telecommunications this absolute measure is called dBm. It measures your received signal level in comparison to 1mW of energy - ie 0dBm = 1mW. Now because phones deal in levels much smaller than 1mW, we often see our dBm readout expressed in negative values. So when reading your signal meter it is important to remember -60dBm is greater than -70dBm ..the closer to zero we are, the better.

  

  Here's a quick diagram that should allow you to convert bars into dBm.

  If I've confused you, all you need to remember is the smaller the number the better. So without any further rambling here are the codes for your phone.

  Phone Engineering Menus

  Please scroll down to the applicable model phone.

  Apple iPhone 3G/3GS/4/4S/5

  Dial *3001#12345#* and press Call.

  This is called field test mode. On 3G/3GS you can toggle between 'bars' and dBm any time by pressing the bars (once the code has been entered).

  What frequency is my iPhone using?

  This is important step for Optus and other networks that operate on multiple bands when selecting an antenna.

  Dial *3001#12345#* and press Call.

  Select UMTS Cell Environment

  Select UMTS RR Info

  Select Downlink Frequency

  This will give you a channel number, followed by some other numbers in brackets. The channel numbers correspond accordingly:

  850MHz: 4357 - 4458

  900MHz: 2937 - 3088

  2100MHz: 10562 - 10838

  Android-based Phones

  Go to: Menu -> About Phone -> Status

  This will give a readout in dBm.

  OR

  Dial *#*#4636#*#* for a full engineering menu.

  To show what frequency your phone is operating on (ie 850MHz, 900MHz, etc) and for a fast updating dBm meter use the following code:

  Dial *#0011# and look for the RSCP for the signal power and ECIO for the signal quality.

  ZTE/Telstra Manufactured Phones

  Dial *983*3641#

  To turn off dial *983*3640# or hold the hangup button.

  This works for most Telstra handsets, but might not work for all.

  Blackberry Devices

  Hold down the ALT key and type the letters NMLL

  This will convert 'bars' into dBm. To toggle back to bars, repeat the process.reference-http://telcoantennas.com.au/site/frequently-asked-questions

  Troubleshoot Poor Call Quality Issues (No Signal or Service, Dropped Calls, One Way Audio, Inaudible or Garbled Speech, etc.)   SUBJECT: Troubleshoot Poor Call Quality Issues (No Signal or Service, Dropped Calls, One Way Audio, Inaudible or Garbled Speech, etc.) SYMPTOM: Echo / Garbled Speech / Poor Reception / Excessive Background Noise Dropped Calls / Dead Air / One Way Audio / Fast Busy / No Service Can't Understand Caller / Caller Can't Hear Me Unable to Attach to GPRS / No Internet Access Unable to place or receive calls Dropped calls FIX: Overview Weak signal strength may make it difficult to place or receive calls as well as connect to the Internet through the wireless phone. Signal strength varies based on physical location, and the phone needs adequate signal strength to properly connect to the Internet and place or receive calls. Troubleshooting Note:  If your phone is an iPhone, the following information may not apply.  Please see the topic:  Check signal strength and wireless data attach using iPhone.  If unable to receive signal on the handset, resulting in any of the above symptoms (i.e., fast busies or NO SERVICE) perform the following: Validate the SIM card is inserted properly. (For GSM Services Only) Former AT&T Wireless devices New and Existing AT&T wireless devices Validate the device is powered on. Former AT&T Wireless devices New and Existing AT&T wireless devices Check the signal strength. The signal strength meter is a visual indicator of how well the phone is picking up the AT&T wireless network, which is directly related to your location within the coverage area. At least two bars need to be displayed on the signal strength meter to properly connect to the Internet and place or receive calls. Former AT&T Wireless devices New and Existing AT&T wireless devices Based on displayed signal strength: If indoors and there are no signal bars are displayed, attempt to step outside and see if the signal improves. If so, then indoor coverage is not available at the current location. Move to open areas that are less likely to block the signal to increase the phone's signal strength. Confined areas such as tunnels, mirrored buildings, and elevators are known for blocking wireless signals. If outdoors and there are no signal bars are displayed, if possible, relocate to another location approximately 5 miles away. If on the fringe of the coverage area, you may need to return to it—or to one of many roaming partners' coverage areas—to increase your phone's signal strength. Additionally, if you happen to be a fringe coverage area, be sure to charge your battery, as low battery in fringe areas can further decrease your phone's ability to pick up a signal. If there are 2 or more signal bars, place an outbound call. If an error message is returned, attempt to troubleshoot that error recording first.