Well, we have to be reasonable as to what to expect from cell phones. Physics, economics, and human nature come into play. I'm not in the cellular or phone industry -- but as an electronics engineer, I'll try to explain...


- Unlike AM broadcasting (i.e. KLIV), cellular phones (and FM and TV broadcasting) use such a high radio frequency that they work mostly by line of sight. In other words, there must be a straight line between you and the antenna. Anything in the way reduces the signal power. That's why you aim your TV antenna.

- With a simple antenna, radio signal power goes down by the square of the distance -- i.e. the signal level goes down by one quarter when you are twice as far away from the antenna. For the whole cellular idea to work, each phone and each cellular base station must have relatively limited power -- since the same frequencies are re-used by different cells throughout the area.

- A cellular connection is a radio -- and it is subject to some extent to the issues of line-of-sight, interference, moving vehicles and planes, signal variation depending on the orientation of the unit, etc. similar to what you find with an FM walkman, which uses the long headphone cord as a receiving antenna.

- There are differences in quality of the radio and audio circuitry between telephone manufacturers (not the carrier name on the phone -- but between Motorola, Nokia, etc.) and between models from the same manufacturer. Some models transmit at higher power than others. Some are better at managing the battery power for longer talk time between battery charge sessions. Some have more sophisticated digital signal processing for better audio quality. Some have better antennas and receiving circuitry. As with anything else, to cut costs in electronics you have to cut corners.

- The base station antennas are either on a tall building or on a free-standing tower to gain as much height -- and therefore line-of-sight range -- as possible. The lease rate for equipment rooms and antenna space is negotiated between the building/tower owner and each carrier; and the equipment must be maintained and connected to the landline phone network. Even if you ignore the expense, there are neighborhood concerns about erecting towers everywhere -- and the clusters of multiple stereo-speaker-look antennas are intrusive. Since the traditional use of cell phones has been on major highways and in downtown areas (and that is where the tall buildings are) that is where most cell base stations are located.


The cell sites that I have observed in this area are at the locations below. I am sure there are more; I have no idea which of the companies -- Verizon, Sprint, Cingular, AT&T, etc. -- uses which sites. Usually a site is shared.

Pruneyard Towers
Tisch Building on 280 by Santana Row
Two-story office building at Almaden and Hillsdale/Capital
Various locations downtown
Blossom Hill by 85


So for us to have dramatically better cell service in residential areas of Willow Glen, a cellular company would have to spend a lot of money for a limited market -- and, yes, there would need to be a tower or a tall building with antennas in Willow Glen.


Meanwhile, I'd suggest:

- Try a better phone. For what it's worth, I have a very small and pleasant-to-use high-end Motorola T720 -- which has many irrelevant features that I ignore. Compared to what you will pay every month for the service over time, the cost of a better phone is not that big a deal.

- Compare notes with nearby neighbors on carriers. For what it's worth, I have been pleased with Verizon's honesty and responsiveness. For example, I called and complained about cell busy signals when people called me in the afternoon at my home -- my complaint was treated professionally and they must have fixed something or expanded capacity at the nearest base station because the problem went away.

- Don't expect landline quality in a cellphone. The key for me is that the phone has always worked well enough to communicate when I have needed it -- outside the house and as an occasional auxiliary line in the house. Judging by conversations I have where I am on landline and the other party is on a cell, there is no cell phone or cell phone company that provides landline quality.


Good references:

"How cell phones work" -- with animated diagrams
http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cell-phone.htm

"Why don't I get good reception?" -- with a good drawing
http://www.criterioncellular.com/html/basics.html


--cg, 9/7/03