We have all faced problems while connecting our smartphone or mobile to the telephone network set up by our carrier. The situation repeats if you live in one of the many white regions of France. Whether it’s calling, texting, or double-checking our Facebook news feed, we all have this reflex: we raise our smartphone above our heads and stretch our precious as high into the sky as possible. The approach seems logical, as the mesh comes from waves broadcast through the air. But is the height of the phone’s position really an issue?
Our American colleagues at The Verge spoke with Lin Zhong, a professor of electrical and computer engineering at Rice University in Texas. According to that, this reflex is totally useless! Why ? The expert confirms that the telephone network is not a flow over our heads, but much more homogeneous than that: the network is everywhere around us, outdoors and in buildings.
3 solutions to better capture the phone network
encountering network problems, there are three main solutions. Therefore, raising the lever is not part of it. On the other hand, other solutions are possible depending on the most common scenarios. In large cities it is often the presence of buildings or too many users that has an impact on the quality of the network. It is therefore recommended go to a less obstructed area, such as a park, where the crowds are less dense.
In the countryside, get as far away from forests and water spots as possible. In these areas the network is the least good. in your home, “fem to cell” installation possible. It is a small box connected to the Internet box (unless the box integrates this technology directly). Fem to cell makes it possible to use the fixed internet network to “convert” to a cellular network, thereby improving the mobile network in the home. Major operators all offer such solutions, which are usually free for their subscribers who live in white areas. Sometimes they offer this solution in case of network antenna problem.
Finally, it is possible to get a mobile signal booster. This is a local relay that can amplify a weak signal in a given area. Again, this solution can only be effective at home or in a workplace (e.g. an isolated warehouse). It involves putting your hand in your pocket. But rest assured, these devices are now very affordable. Frankly, these solutions require a little more effort than just raising your arm or a small investment. But they do have the merits of being effective.
