4 ms·

This is not an issue I have ever experienced. I can’t get reliable coverage in my office but planes on the ground seem to be fine (mostly Denver, Detroit, Minne

This is not an issue I have ever experienced. I can’t get reliable coverage in my office but planes on the ground seem to be fine (mostly Denver, Detroit, Minneapolis, Des Moines). Maybe it affect some airports more than others.

edoo 7y ago
I concur. I've left my phone on by accident a few times and usually I'm getting alerts right before touch down.
- gmmeyer 7y ago
  same I have never had an issue
ldoughty 7y ago
I agree I was confused by this.. I've never had issues with cell signal just before/after landing, and it's always the last/first thing I do while flying to update family... Perhaps it's only certain service providers, airports, or just airports the author has used and is extrapolating? The 700-850 MHz band had some good range (miles), so while there might be challenges from being in a metal tube, is be somewhat surprised if there's not a mobile tower nearby.. if not multiple. The usual problem in this setting is overcrowding, so most highly populated public places have overlapping coverage. The author makes it seem like no cell towers would exist within 10 miles of an airport, which would mean nobody near an airport would have good service (including homes, or roadways)
caymanjim 7y ago
Same. I've flown dozens of times through JFK, EWR, CLT, MIA, PHX, and SFO in the past few years, and I can't recall any trouble at all.
Frqy3 7y ago
The author has extrapolated their experience in (at most) a handful of airports to the general case. One of the first projects I was given as a junior engineer was to measure signal strengths of our and competitor mobile networks at the local airport. This was pre September 11, but I was still amazed at the access we got carrying a signal analyser and just flashing our employee badges got us. For inbound roaming users, absent particular partner network preferences (which were less common back then), the mobile device would select the local network to use based on relative signal strengths when turned on. Capturing those inbound roaming fees was a high priority for the product managers and hence a lot of effort and infrastructure investment went into this.
PopeDotNinja 7y ago
I've noticed poor mobile reception on the tarmac at both Oakland and San Francisco airports in California. The airports are both have runways that are right on the water, which presumably means they are about as far from mobile towers as one can be at an airport. I'd guess that landlocked airports have better reception.

edoo 7y ago

I concur. I've left my phone on by accident a few times and usually I'm getting alerts right before touch down.

gmmeyer 7y ago
same I have never had an issue

ldoughty 7y ago

I agree I was confused by this.. I've never had issues with cell signal just before/after landing, and it's always the last/first thing I do while flying to update family... Perhaps it's only certain service providers, airports, or just airports the author has used and is extrapolating? The 700-850 MHz band had some good range (miles), so while there might be challenges from being in a metal tube, is be somewhat surprised if there's not a mobile tower nearby.. if not multiple. The usual problem in this setting is overcrowding, so most highly populated public places have overlapping coverage. The author makes it seem like no cell towers would exist within 10 miles of an airport, which would mean nobody near an airport would have good service (including homes, or roadways)

caymanjim 7y ago

Same. I've flown dozens of times through JFK, EWR, CLT, MIA, PHX, and SFO in the past few years, and I can't recall any trouble at all.

Frqy3 7y ago

The author has extrapolated their experience in (at most) a handful of airports to the general case. One of the first projects I was given as a junior engineer was to measure signal strengths of our and competitor mobile networks at the local airport. This was pre September 11, but I was still amazed at the access we got carrying a signal analyser and just flashing our employee badges got us. For inbound roaming users, absent particular partner network preferences (which were less common back then), the mobile device would select the local network to use based on relative signal strengths when turned on. Capturing those inbound roaming fees was a high priority for the product managers and hence a lot of effort and infrastructure investment went into this.

PopeDotNinja 7y ago

I've noticed poor mobile reception on the tarmac at both Oakland and San Francisco airports in California. The airports are both have runways that are right on the water, which presumably means they are about as far from mobile towers as one can be at an airport. I'd guess that landlocked airports have better reception.