Explaining Cell Phone Reception

[rstoyguy]

Originally Posted by Csquare

To my understanding, the radio has a base PRL list of towers to look for. When you switch to a different carrier radio, you are looking at a new PRL list for that carrier. In some areas, the carrier selected my have more towers and hince "better coverage".

Yep, that's pretty much it. The PRL tells the phone who they have roaming agreements with and whose towers to use. The more towers, the better signal. Or, if your in the "foot print" of a tower instead of inbetween a couple you'll have better signal/service. The FCC makes them limit the strength of the tower and then grandma doesn't want one in her backyard...

Originally Posted by orangekid

someone should just make a custom radio that has all the towers, with that type of power one could rule the world!!!!

or at least get pretty good coverage.

It'd take one big party that leaves them a heck of a hangover to get them all to use one set towers! That would be ideal, one system and then blanket us with radio waves!