Maybe they mean the noise you can hear from the phone as it communicates. I wonder if it is more pronounced when reception is bad as it searches for other tower

Maybe they mean the noise you can hear from the phone as it communicates. I wonder if it is more pronounced when reception is bad as it searches for other towers? I had wired headphones + mic with an amplifier for a while and if I put my phone anywhere near it you'd hear the classic GSM buzz.