All sorts of things affect cellular signal strength. Some of these are a bit more shocking than others. Most people wouldn’t think glass and thunderstorms are to blame for their poor call quality, but sometimes this is the case. Everything from mountainous terrains to your phone case can affect your cellular signal. Luckily, these causes are easy to fix! Check out this article to find out what’s giving your cell signal problems.
Strain on Bandwidth
If you're someone who constantly leaves apps open and running in the background, you may also frequently find yourself dropping calls. Experts also say the more notifications that apps send you, the more strain they place on your bandwidth. Luckily, fixing this is as easy as closing the apps and silencing unnecessary notifications.
Broken Phone
Everyone has dropped their phone at least once, and this may lead to interior damage. While a case can weaken your signal, so can a broken phone. If you can't find a good signal regardless of where you are, this may be the reason. Take your phone into the shop you bought it from or to a specialist so they can look it over for signs of breakage.
Pro Tip:
The problem could also be your SIM card—they wear out as they age. A phone repair expert could detect this and give you a new SIM card to resolve the issue. Many people recommend contacting your phone service provider if this particular problem is ruining your calls because a lot of providers replace your card for free. You could get that advantage.
Phone Case
Your phone case protects your phone from accidental drops, but some phone skins weaken the cellular signal. This can occur because of the case’s thickness or the material it’s made of. One way to find out what's causing your poor reception is to remove your case and make a call. Then, if you notice your call quality improves once you take the case off, invest in a new one!
Location
The further you are from the nearest tower, the longer the distance the waves sent out by your phone must travel. As the distance increases, the waves weaken, which means poor reception.
You may also notice that you get poor cellular signal in specific areas of a building. In basements, apartments, and some office buildings, cellular signal isn't always great. This is often due to the materials the building is made out of rather than your physical distance from the tower. The good news is, you may be able to resolve this by going to a different room in the building.
Windows
This one is particularly interesting. Most people wouldn't think a window can impair their signal because they don’t consider glass as a material that would obstruct anything. However, some commercial buildings have Low-E glass or coated windows—both make the building more environmentally friendly and decrease energy costs. However, this very same coating blocks cellular signals.
Building Materials
Building materials can also block cellular signals. Avoiding this is a bit of a challenge since buildings must use these materials to remain structurally sound. Some materials that hinder signal include
Plaster
Wood
Brick
Metal
You could encounter this problem whether you’re in your home, apartment, or office space. One way to determine the cause is to walk around the property and see if you still have the problem. In the event that your signal improves when you get outside, chances are the building materials are to blame.
All Materials Aren’t the Same
Some building materials affect signal more than others. For example, metal holds much more of an impact than glass. Likewise, plywood will impact your cell signal, but not as much as solid wood. Evaluate your space and determine how each building material could affect your signal.
Nature
You may find it challenging to get a good cellular signal if you're up in the mountains. This seems odd—you're out in the open, so capturing a signal should be easy. Well, nature is one surprising thing that blocks your cellular signal. This includes the following:
Hills and mountains terrains
Heavy vegetation and forests
Various weather patterns
Most wouldn't think Earth can heavily impact our cell signal, but it can. Correcting this isn't always easy, either. In a heavy rainstorm, you can't change locations or open a window to fix the problem. But a cellular signal booster can help. At Surecall Boosters, you can get a home cell phone booster in Canada, so you always have an excellent signal!
Network Traffic
Your signal could drop whether you live in an urban area or if you’re waiting at the train station. This is because more phones are competing for the signal in populated areas since everyone is on their phone. You may struggle with more than call quality. For example, using data requires a cellular signal, so it may not go through if you're trying to send an email in a busy area.
Can You Test Signal Strength?
Testing and checking signal strength is easy—but it differs in Androids, iPhones, and Blackberries. Contrary to common belief, the bars you have on your phone don’t accurately determine cellular signal strength: your dBm reading does. Understanding how to read dBm is vital to ending dropped calls as it tells you where your cellular signal is weakest and strongest.
Keep in mind, this number is in the negatives whether your signal is incredible or weak. The closer to zero it is, the stronger your signal will be. Experts say anything better than -85 dBm is the sign of a good signal. And if you want a full-proof way to improve your cellular reception, then buy a cellular signal booster! Surecall Boosters provides boosters for your home, office, and vehicle and can end the stress of dropped calls for good.
A lot can weaken your cellular signal, and some of the most surprising things that block your cellular signal are building materials, nature, and phone cases. Luckily, once you detect the reason for your weak signal, solving it is as easy as replacing your phone case or buying a booster.
