B Why Do We Lose Cell Phone Connection Outdoors Without Buildings or Cars Nearby?

[Tech2025]

If Cellular network towers are supposedly divided in cells , like this image , then why do we loose connection even when outdoors and not inside or near any buildings/cars. Also why is it common to see more than 1 cell tower near each other?

 

[berkeman]

Multipath issues can exist even if you are not near a reflecting surface. If there are multiple paths that transmissions can take between you and the tower, you can get nulls at your location. If the paths are different lengths, or there is some attenuation in the way, it is less likely that you will be in a deep null.

As for multiple towers near each other, one reason may be that they are for different cell phone carriers.

(Cool avatar, BTW -- Out foxhunting with your HT!)

 

[Tech2025]

Multipath issues can exist even if you are not near a reflecting surface. If there are multiple paths that transmissions can take between you and the tower, you can get nulls at your location. If the paths are different lengths, or there is some attenuation in the way, it is less likely that you will be in a deep null.

As for multiple towers near each other, one reason may be that they are for different cell phone carriers.

(Cool avatar, BTW -- Out foxhunting with your HT!)

Can't multiple different cell towers that close to each other cause interference? Thanks lol

 

[sophiecentaur]

The reason that the honeycomb layout does not work is that the Earth is not flat and all terrain (towns particularly) had high structures which cause shadows and reflections. The companies do not care about fringe reception. They shamelessly work to a price and marginal users just don’t count. That diagram represents a general principle for political purposes and not reality.
Adjacent cells do not interfere because they use different frequencies.