What’s Causing Poor Cell Phone Reception in Your House?

Whether you work from home or make frequent social calls, having good cell reception in your home is important. For interested homebuyers, the level of cell reception in a new home may affect their decision to buy. Do you know what causes poor reception and slow service? Review the following common reasons for poor reception in a house to gain a comprehensive understanding of potential problems when purchasing your next home.

High Cellular Traffic

If a certain street, apartment building, or neighborhood has a lot of residents and not enough cell towers in the area, it can affect reception. Assuming other families are using their phones just as much as you are, it’s likely that all these signals are continuously competing for space on the closest cell tower. The more competition there is, the more difficult it becomes for your phone to secure a connection. The influx of cellular traffic can weaken connections and signals and can cause your call to transfer to a cell tower that is already full, which will drop the call.

Construction Materials

The type of construction materials used in a building can have a serious impact on your signal. Metal construction materials and low-E glass can weaken cellular signals and cause your service to go in and out as you move throughout a home. If you notice your signal getting better as you move toward a door or window, the home’s metal materials likely obstruct your connection.

Low Phone Battery

If you haven’t charged your phone in a while, it’s possible that your signal will become weaker. Since your phone needs ample power to sustain a viable connection with a cell tower, it may have a harder time connecting when the battery is extremely low.

Valleys, Hills, and Trees

Geographic elements such as valleys and hills are a prevalent cause of cell signal interruption. If a home is located on one side of a hill and the only cell tower nearby is situated on the opposite side of the hill, your connection is likely to suffer as a result. In addition, a large number of trees surrounding a home can cause major disruptions in cellular reception.

Weather Conditions

Your cell phone receives and transfers electromagnetic waves, which are especially prone to the impact of weather conditions. Humidity, clouds, thunder, rain, snow, wind, and lighting can affect your cell phone’s ability to connect to a tower and maintain a signal.