It is a "feature" of EM Radiation (eg "radio waves", *esp* at very short wavelengths -- near microware and microware). There are a host of things affecting these wages. One other feature of *digital* vs. *analog* signals: with analog signaling (eg AM and FM radio, old TV), as the signal degrades, you get static (snow on your old TV), but with digital it is either perfect or there is nothing. "Poor" signal quality does not exist at all with digital -- it is either there or not at all. What is happening is there are several things affecting the signal, including to what extent the building walls are "opaque" to the cell wavelength and to what extent they behave like a Faraday Cage (a condictive mesh that "blocks" EM Radiation). For example sometimes plaster is applied to a chicken wire or at least in the old days before Sheet Rock and it might also be possible that the Sheet Rock might have something like chicken wire embeded in it (for strength or added fire resistance, etc.). This can act like a Faraday Cage. Western Mass is hilly and heavy forested. The hills tend to block cell signals and tree foliage tends to scatter cell signals (with a high iron content in the local soil the leaves act like zillions of tity antennas, many at nearly the same wavelength as the cell signals). Parts of Western Mass are sparcely populated. This means that the cell companies are likely to have sparcely placed cell towers -- they are only ecomically viable if there are enough possible subscribers paying for service -- cell towers cost lots and lots of money to erect and to maintain and if few people are paying for service there is no point putting up another tower. With the hills and trees messing with the signals, there are going to be "holes" in the coverage. Also, 5G is *worse* than 4G with reguard to all of the above. The new phone is probably 5G and is likely having a harder time getting a good signal. At Sat, 18 Nov 2023 06:03:00 -0500 Annamarie Pluhar <annamarie at PatientSympatheticCoaching.com> wrote: > > Hi > > I'm so puzzled about this.. maybe someone has a clue? > > Client bought a Samsung Galaxy S-23+ and hired me to set it up. Has a > Consumer Cellular account. Threw out her old phone because it stopped > working (Argh!)but it did work in her apartment. She bought a new SIM > card for me to install. Phone wouldn't register on the network. > That's an hour on the phone with Consumer Cellular having them try > things. Finally, I took it with the intent of going to the wallmart in > Hadley for help. It worked in Hadley. I had it overnight and she got > several calls on it. Took it back to her and as it happens was seeing > someone in her building just before. Tested the phone in another part of > the building 5 minutes before seeing her. It worked. Got to her > apartment - phone shows the same message about not being registered on > the network. > > I think it's a cell tower problem. But why did her old phone work in > her apartment and not the new one? Anyone know? I'm not well-versed > in Android world. > > thanks > Annamarie > > > Annamarie Pluhar > [Patient, Sympathetic Coaching](http://patientsympatheticcoaching.com) > > _______________________________________________ > Hidden-discuss mailing list - home page: http://www.hidden-tech.net > Hidden-discuss at lists.hidden-tech.net > > You are receiving this because you are on the Hidden-Tech Discussion list. > If you would like to change your list preferences, Go to the Members > page on the Hidden Tech Web site. > http://www.hidden-tech.net/members > > -- Robert Heller -- Cell: 413-658-7953 GV: 978-633-5364 Deepwoods Software -- Custom Software Services http://www.deepsoft.com/ -- Linux Administration Services heller at deepsoft.com -- Webhosting Services