A digitally connected world needs reliable wireless to make the most of new technology. Cell phone reception is a big deal, and is one of the main reasons people prefer one carrier over another. If you’re dealing with dead zones, there are a few ways to combat the issue.

What Is a Cellular Dead Zone?

A cellular dead zone is an area where signals for your smartphone are weak or nonexistent. It is one of the main selling points of a Home Signal Booster, and a big reason why carriers make their coverage map publicly accessible. A smartphone will alert you once it loses signal, but for a lot of consumers it will be too little too late. That means by the time the signal is lost, text, data and phone service will be completely lost until you’re out of the zone. Along with being a frustrating experience, it can also be dangerous in situations where you’re in the middle of nowhere. If it is an emergency, a dead zone will leave you isolated from any outside help. 

Common Causes

Geographic obstacles, cell tower distance, building materials and network congestion are the most common causes of a cellular dead zone. Several of these issues have been addressed by carriers so it is less common, but there are still outliers that will leave consumers in a bad position. 

Geographic Obstacles – Any individual that has gone on vacation in a mountainous area is familiar with signal drops. When near natural formations, it is normal to have ineffective signals since the transmission is obstructed. An antenna booster is strongly recommended when going camping to get around this problem.

Cell Tower Distance – Is probably the most frustrating cause since it can be completely random. Some towers can send a signal up to 45 miles, while others are hard capped at 25 miles. The open rural area may get a signal, but the lack of towers in your immediate area may put you out of the effective coverage range. And a large city may have more towers, but several large obstructions can lead to inconsistent signals. When looking at a carrier coverage map, some of the dead zone areas seem completely random. As a result, a lot of the dropped cellular signals will take consumers by surprise. 

Building Materials – Certain construction materials like concrete or metal can weaken cell signals. In a worse case scenario, it can completely cut off the signal goes to your cell phone. This is most notable in some stores or professional buildings when your smartphone seems like it is struggling to receive data. Once you step outside, a bunch of missed messages and phone calls start flooding in. As a convenience, some buildings offer free local wi-fi as a temporary way to get around this problem. But in other cases like a secure facility, the cutting off of the signal is intentional. 

Network Congestion – One of the most popular instances of network congestion is when Hurricane Katrina hit Louisiana in 2005. Communications in the area were not only overwhelmed by the structural damage to towers, but the resulting flood of calls, text and data that hit the remaining towers all at once. For a more modern day take on this, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNO) can suffer from network congestion since they don’t own the wireless network infrastructure. This is of course on a case-by-case basis, as some MVNO’s handle this better than others. There are even MVNO’s that have fewer dead zones than the major carriers! The easiest way to test network congestion with your carrier is to use data during peak hours such as mornings and evenings. 

How Do You Identify a Dead Zone?

In order to deal with a dead zone, you first have to identify it. Download a signal strength app if your phone does not have one built in. Test it out in areas where you notice there is a weak signal pattern. Weak of fluctuating signals will give you just enough information to move on to temporary or permanent solutions to dealing with dead zones. 

Temporary Solutions

The best temporary solution is to use Wi-Fi calling. The technology has come a long way from its humble beginnings, and is reliable even when you need to do a video call. Any modern smartphone will have an option to switch to Wi-Fi calling whenever your cellular signal is weaker than the local wireless signal. As a bonus, it will save you a ton on data if you’re hard capped. The downside to this temporary solution is that a bad Wi-fi connection can be just as problematic as a congested cell network. And if there are no Wi-Fi signals at all, then you’re back to square one with a dead zone issue. 

Permanent Solutions

Again, signal boosters are the way to go. They can be purchased for home use, office use or as a portable option while you travel. It is such a good solution that even the major carriers recommend the use of signal boosters to beat dead zones. The best thing about this permanent solution is that it is user friendly right out of the box. Instead of dealing with long configurations or incompatibilities, you get to focus on using your cell phone without the worry of a dead zone randomly disrupting the signal. 

For alternatives, Femtocells and Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) have gained some popularity. This is more on the professional side for beating dead zones, while signal boosters are more on the consumer side. But options are options, and individuals with multiple acres of land may find the alternatives a more streamlined solution. 

Beat The Dead Zone

A cellular dead zone is not the end of the world if you’re proactive about a solution. As carriers move beyond the 5G limitations, there is a good chance that signal penetration will make dead zones a thing of the past. Although it is an inconvenience, the right solution can quickly bring back your service. Make a time investment, and there will always be multiple ways to resolve a dead zone.