 UNDERSTANDING
CELL PHONE COVERAGE AREAS
Antennas/Networks
Mobile or "cell" phones
work through a system of
radio waves and towers or
antennas to transmit calls.
Since cell phones rely on
radio waves, and radio waves
travel though the air, completing
calls can, at times, be unreliable.
Like other radio transmissions,
cell phone calls can be interrupted
by severe weather, large
buildings, or other objects
between you and the nearest
cell tower.
A number of factors can
interrupt or prevent the
completion of a call. Even
when a carrier offers coverage
in a certain geographic area,
you may not be able to complete
a call due to limitations
in network architecture (where
antennas are located), capacity
(how many callers are using
the airwaves/antenna at a
given time), and topography
(your surroundings). When
a carrier fails to hand off
a call in progress as a consumer
travels from one part of
the carrier's network to
another, it is called a "dropped
call." A dropped call
usually occurs when you are
on the move and there are
too few (or no) antennas
in the area where you are
traveling; the network architecture
is limited. If there are
no available antennas for
you to use, your call has
nowhere to go, so it gets
dropped by the system.
When many consumers use
a carrier's network at the
same time and its capacity
is strained, other customers
trying to connect will hear
a "busy signal" instead
of being able to complete
their calls. The landscape
and architecture of your
surroundings - topography
- can affect cell phone coverage,
causing "dead spots." A
dead spot is a local area
where service is not available
because the signal between
the handset and the cell
tower is blocked, usually
by hilly terrain, excessive
foliage or tall buildings.
Carriers are always working
to improve and upgrade their
networks in order to minimize
dropped calls, busy signals,
and dead spots.
Reading the
Fine Print - Coverage Maps
Before choosing a carrier
or plan, it is wise to research
carriers to determine the
extent of their coverage
areas. You can research a
carrier's coverage area in
a number or ways:
- Carriers
provide coverage maps on
their Web sites and in
stores where their products
are sold. Often these maps
show very general coverage
for entire regions. These
maps usually carry the
disclaimer that they are
provided for informational
purposes only and that
actual coverage may vary.
There may be holes where
the carrier has not located
antennas or where the topography
causes dead spots.
There is no guarantee that your phone will work
in an area just because it is included on a carrier's
coverage map. Regions where towers are few and
far between may technically be included in your
home area, but the quality of your calls may be
so poor that you can't use your phone. Although
carriers attempt to design their networks to eliminate
dropped calls, busy signals, and dead spots, no
network is perfect, so coverage breaks within the
general coverage areas are still possible. Specific
and/or updated information may not be available
in maps provided by carriers, since coverage is
frequently changing.
- One way
to find out about a certain
carrier's coverage is to
ask neighbors and friends.
You can also look at Web
sites (such as www.deadzones.com),
which list specific dead
spots submitted by individuals,
by carrier and location
for specific cities.
- Test the
carrier's plan and coverage
on a trial basis. Many
carriers offer trial periods
during which you can test
a phone before you are
locked into a service contract
and have to pay a significant
fee for terminating that
service contract. During
this trial period, you
may want to test the phone
in the areas where you
plan to use it most frequently
to determine if the coverage
suits your needs.
Roaming
"Roaming" is the
term that describes a cell
phone's ability to make and
receive calls outside the
home calling area. Roaming
occurs when a subscriber
of one wireless service provider
uses the facilities of another
wireless service provider.
This second provider has
no direct pre-existing financial
or service agreement with
this subscriber to place
or receive a call. When your
phone is roaming, an indicator
light on your phone may display
the word "roam."
If your carrier's signal
is too weak, roaming can
occur even if you are using
your cell phone in your own
home calling area. A phone
can also go into roaming
mode if there is a high volume
of callers in the area. Imagine
that you are surrounded by
cell towers, but your carrier's
towers are at their capacity
or out of range. Instead
of having a call blocked
or dropped, your phone might
use another provider's tower
(roam), sometimes at a higher
price.
Roaming fees are traditionally
charged on a per-minute basis
and they are typically determined
by your service provider's
pricing plan. Several carriers
have eliminated these fees
in their nationwide pricing
plans. All of the major carriers
now offer pricing plans that
allow consumers to purchase
a "bucket" of monthly
minutes to use nationwide
without incurring roaming
charges. Consumers should
be aware however, that carriers
define "nationwide" in
different ways. For example,
some carriers define "nationwide" as
anywhere in the country,
whereas others define it
as anywhere within the carrier's
network. Check with your
carrier for information on
plans without roaming charges
or about other roaming options.
Emergency
Situations
Some consumers purchase
their cell phones for emergency
use only. These consumers
are relying on their cell
phones as a vital means of
getting help during personal
and national emergencies.
Remember, during widespread
emergencies the calling volume
in particular geographic
areas can increase significantly
and it is possible that a
cell phone call may not go
through. Although cell phone
carriers' networks can handle
normal cellular traffic on
most days, it is important
to remember that their coverage
and capacity isn't unlimited.
When call volume is high
and capacity is limited,
users of cell phones capable
of text messaging may be
able to send a text message
even if they cannot complete
a voice call because text
messages require much less
capacity.
Researching the Best
Coverage for You
- Determine
how you will be using your
cell phone (long distance,
emergencies, daily, week-ends)
to find a plan to best
fit your needs.
- Investigate
carriers' coverage areas
to determine if they provide
service where you intend
to use the phone most frequently.
- Ask neighbors,
work colleagues and friends
who have similar calling
patterns about their experiences
with different service
providers and plans.
- Browse
the Internet for Web sites
that report dead spots.
- Since
coverage is also affected
by the type of handset,
consider whether a single-mode,
dual-mode or tri-mode phone
best suits your calling
needs. "Single-mode" phones
can connect to either a
digital or an analog network
but not both. "Dual-mode" handsets
can be used on both analog
and digital networks. "Tri-mode" handsets
can be used on analog and
two types of digital networks.
- Compare
plans and prices of several
dealers and service providers
before deciding on the
phone and plan that best
suits your needs.
- Take advantage
of the trial periods offered
by most carriers. This
is a short period of time
when you can use the phone
without having to pay a
significant fee to terminate
your service contract.
- Consider
trying a prepaid plan;
that way, you can switch
providers if the service
isn't to your liking. If
you sign a longer term
contract and aren't happy,
you may have to pay a significant
termination fee to get
out of the contract.
- When a
problem arises, call your
cellular company. If the
problem is with the telephone
itself, go to one of the
cell phone company's stores,
not an independent agent.
The staff at a company
store is better equipped
to provide a remedy.
- Remember
that most coverage maps
carry the disclaimer that
they are provided for general
informational purposes
only and actual coverage
may vary.
- In the
event of an emergency,
always keep your cell phone
battery charged.
Complaints
If you have a complaint
about service from your cell
phone provider, you can file
a complaint at the FCC by
e-mail (fccinfo@fcc.gov),
Internet (www.fcc.gov/cgb/complaints.html),
telephone 1-888-CALL-FCC
(1-888-225-5322) voice, 1-888-TELL-FCC
(1-888-835-5322) TTY, or
mail:
Federal
Communications Commission
Consumer & Governmental Affairs Bureau
Consumer Inquiries and Complaints Division
445 12th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20554
Information Provided by
the Federal
Communications Commission |
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