In them, some bars and icons indicate the quantity and the type of coverage we havebut it is not the only way to know the coverage (in addition to being quite limited in terms of information and being imprecise).
The types of coverage that we usually have and their speeds are:
- G, GPRS or 2G: It is the oldest and slowest mobile network. Its top speed is 6Kbps and is mainly used for voice calls and text messages, although today it is a technology that is hardly used.
- E, EDGE or 2.5G: Intermediate step between 2G and 3G that multiplies by 8 the speed offered by the first networks, allowing to reach the 48Kbps.
- 3G: This is the first mobile network to allow the transfer of data in large amounts, allowing you to surf the Internet and send emails. Its top speed is 7.2Mbps.
- H+ or HSDPA+: An evolution of 3G networks that allow to improve the speed of data transfer until reaching the 21Mbps.
- LTE or 4G: Although it may not seem like it, and despite the rise of 5G, it is the most widely used mobile network today. Its top speed is 200Mbpsbut can reach up to 1Gbps in optimal conditions. It enables high definition video streaming and online gaming without any major issues.
- 4G+: More powerful version of the previous technology that allows us to work at 300 Mbps, and up to 1 Gbps with Carrier Aggregation.
- 5G: The newest and fastest mobile network available today. Its theoretical top speed is up to 20Gbps, but in practice, the real speed is around 1 Gbps, that is, like 4G in optimal conditions. As you can imagine, it offers faster and more stable connectivity.
Beyond this, there is one last identifier, the most worrying, which tells us that we are not connected to any Network. When the terminology ‘No Service’ it means that the smartphone does not receive any signal, so we cannot communicate in any way. We will not be able to make or receive calls and we will not be able to use the data plan of our phone, since there is no connection to the Network.
So you can know the intensity of the coverage
The coverage maps (with which all the large operators have) usually show an approximation of the signal power that we can have in certain areas through how radio waves propagate through the different areas, and which is measured in dBm (decibels-milliwatt) . This measurement is estimated based on the range of each antenna, so they are not usually fully reliable, and they are what allow us to navigate at the speed indicated above.
dBm (measured on a logarithmic scale) is usually the most accurate way of know the strength of wireless signals, both for mobile networks and WiFi networks. This value goes from zero to values that are located at -120 dBm. A value of 0 would imply a perfect coverage situation. If the value is less than -120 dBm, we will be without coverage. The reference scale to follow is the following:
- From -120 dBm: no signal
- Between -120 and -104 dBm: very low coverage (we will begin to have problems making calls).
- Between -103 and -98 dBm: low coverage
- Between -97 and -90 dBm: medium coverage
- Between -89 and -77 dBm: very good
- Between -76 and -60 dBm: excellent
If we enjoy de a power between -76 and -60 dBmmeans that we will be able to enjoy, at least, in theory, the maximum speed offered by our Network.
How to know the intensity of your mobile
We can know these values on our mobile in a simple way. In iOS we can force this value to always appear in the upper left part of the status bar by checking *3001#12345#* on the phone.
In the case of Android, there are some modified ROMs that allow you to display the numerical value, but we can also use applications such as Signal Notification (showing value in status bar or with widget), or signal strength, to display it with a widget on the desktop. The latter allows knowing both the intensity of the mobile network and the WiFi network. We can also see it without installing apps in Settings – About Phone – Network – Signal strength.
Where are the telephone antennas?
For enjoy a higher signal strength which, as a consequence, will allow us to work with a higher speed data transfer, you will have to be close to one of the telephone antennas in which your telephone company operates.
If you need know which antenna you are connected to, or which one is closest to you to try to improve your coverage by getting closer to it, you can use applications such as Network Cell Info or OpenSignal. These will show us the location of the antenna to which we are connected and the distance in a straight line.
Why don’t I have coverage if I have a signal?
Sometimes it can happen that, although you have a signal on your mobile and its icon is at the top, don’t have coverage. This can be due to several reasons, ranging from the settings of the mobile phone to other issues that do not depend on you, but on the operator.
wait a bit
When we can’t make a call, even though we have the signal strength in optimal state, what happens is that the mobile itself warns us of what is to come.
Sometimes the coverage icon takes longer to change than the behavior of the phone does, so sooner or later you will see this icon appear gray, indicating that you do not have a line.
Interference or areas without coverage
If you find yourself in a area with a lot of interferencesuch as tall buildings, trees or metal structures, can affect the signal quality and cause you to not have coverage, even if the signal indicating that there is no problem appears.
Therefore, despite the message that you do not have service appearing, try to move around the place where you are and you will see how you can use the phone normally again.
Problems with the operating system
Sometimes the Network problems may cause you to not have coverage. It may be that there is a failure in the network of your mobile service provider or that the mobile tower to which you connect suffers some type of intervention.
However, this should still not show the coverage lines, so if they continue to appear on your terminal it may be because there is a problem with your phone, such as a software or antenna failure.
The most recommended, in this case, is check if you have a system update taking a look at the phone settings, accessing Phone Information. Information about the software will appear here and we will be told if there is a new version waiting to be downloaded and installed.
launcher problem
If you frequently experience coverage problems, and the signal is at its best, it may also be because it is the user interface showing wrong information.
And who is in charge of managing the icons, shortcuts and these identifiers that appear in the notification center is the launcher. If it fails, the icon may not change depending on whether or not we have coverage.
To get out of doubt, you can restore this launcher from the mobile application settings, selecting to show all system apps and, within the launcher app, entering its storage menu to clear app cache and data.