Cellphone service is getting worse in the US – but carriers like AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile say there’s a good reason for dropped calls and texts

Cell phone users across the United States are experiencing frustrating reception levels with fewer calls, texts, and data in 2023 than in previous years.

According to a J.D. Power report, Americans experienced 11 call, text or data interruptions out of every 100 times they used their phones, up from nine in 2021.

This statistic affected major carriers, including Verizon, T-Mobile, and AT&T, all of which saw worse results in 2023 than the previous two years.

Solving the problem is both simple and complex: telecom companies just need to build more cell towers, but doing so requires investing billions of dollars.

Your mobile phone relies on several external factors to ensure that your call goes through and is not interrupted, or that the text message you have drafted can be sent when it is finished.

Cell phones depend on your network provider, the phone's distance from the cell tower, and the weather to work properly.

Technology expert Peter Tran recently revealed that issues related to the three factors come together to form the perfect storm affecting reception.

Speaking about the reason for the low mobile phone reception, Tran said CBS News“This is entirely possible for a number of reasons,” he said, adding that although it is less critical, smoke from wildfires can absorb or reflect cell signals, but more likely, it is a matter of how many cell towers are not meeting demand.

Cellular traffic across the country is increasing, but the number of cell towers is not, Tran said.

Trans compared the problem to traffic, saying: “Just like you have a traffic jam in one lane, it's similar to when you have over 300 million cell phones in this country with limited access to the road.” constellations.

Verizon is building more cell towers to meet growing demand.

Telecom companies are building more cell towers and are also purchasing larger bands of frequencies, giving service providers the ability to offer coverage in multiple areas. Time magazine Reports.

The problem is that the problems are increasing in areas with increasing population density, which means that the current number of cell towers is no longer sufficient for that area.

Verizon did not immediately respond to Dailymail.com's request for comment.

But a company spokesperson told CBS News last August that they had finished making major upgrades that would make a big difference for mobile phone users.

“Now we are able to take this two-lane highway and make it 20 lanes,” the spokesman said.

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“Customers will see massive amounts of faster data speeds on their mobile phones.”

In some places, telecom companies face opposition from residents who don't want new cell towers taking up space in their city.

Residents of Beacon, New York have an ongoing petition on Change.org demanding that Verizon stop construction of a 125-foot cell tower at a local cemetery.

The petition says building the tower will displace animals such as deer, bears and foxes and endanger their homes and children.

They also argue that having a cell tower in their backyards will hinder people's ability to sell their homes.

“This cell tower is being proposed as a short-term solution that has long-term ramifications and decreased property values ​​on us, taxpayers and homeowners,” the petition says.

Aside from waiting for or fighting against new cell towers to appear in your area, cell phone users can take several steps to ensure they receive the best possible service.

Updating your phone's software is essential as it fixes any known issues or bugs in its operating system.

It also improves the overall performance and functionality of your phone, while ignoring updates can slow down your phone.

Users can also check their cellular plans, some of which have data caps — and even unlimited plans — that will significantly slow down your service without your knowledge.

Dailymail.com has reached out to AT&T and T-Mobile for comment.