Reasons for weak cell phone signal

There are a few different reasons why your phone or mobile device would show that you have weak or bad cell phone signal, including:

• Distance from the nearby cell phone towers
• Obstacles in the way
• The construction material of the building
• The vehicle that you are in, or
• Your mobile device has been damaged.

We’ll cover all of these in more depth.

The closer you are to a cell tower from your carrier, the stronger the cell signal is going to be. In urban areas, you’ll most likely be close to a number of different cell towers, so if you’re outside, you’ll typically never have a problem with weak cell phone signal.

In more rural areas, with a much less dense population, the number of cell towers available is significantly less, and also much more spread out. This means that you may find yourself in a location that is far away from the nearest cell tower, resulting in a much weaker outside signal. If you’re in a vehicle, the signal will continue to get weaker as you move away from the nearest cell tower, until you begin to approach a new tower, and the signal will once again get stronger.

Cell signal is transmitted from a cell tower to your phone typically in a straight line. If there is an obstacle in the way, like a building, hill or mountain, or if you’re in a valley, then the cell signal is going to have a very difficult time getting to you. This may result in a weak or irregular signal, or no signal at all. Large obstacles are typically the most challenging signal issues to overcome.

The construction materials of the building you’re in – such as brick, block, metal or concrete – can frequently cause signal problems for cell phone reception. In addition, the windows on newer buildings routinely employ coatings to make the building more efficient for heating and cooling, but this also prevents cell signal from penetrating more easily into the building. Cell phone signal boosters are designed specifically to route around construction materials that are blocking signal, and get the cell signal to the areas inside that require cell service.

This also applies to vehicles, such as Airstream caravans, which are constructed completely of metal, and have a very difficult time receiving good signal inside. A mobile RV signal booster will be able to route the cell signal into the vehicle and broadcast it for better cell service.

Sometimes a mobile device, such as a phone, tablet or hotspot, shows that it is receiving poor cell signal, while other devices on the same network are showing good or great signal. In these cases, it’s most likely that the device has been damaged, and the internal antenna is not functioning as effectively as it should. The best option then is to replace the mobile device, as a signal booster will not be able to solve the cell signal problem.

Once you have a better understanding of why bad cellular signal occurs, it’s easier to understand how a cell phone signal booster can be used to solve the problem.