[PLUG-TALK] Cellular phone signal loss/gain

[Rich Shepard]

I have an irritating cellular phone behavior here that has occurred for
several years with different phones and now two different carriers. A while
ago I spent a long time on the phone with a Verizon Wireless tech who could
not explain this behavior. I'm hoping that someone here can explain it.

The phone will loose contact with a cellular tower and regain it while not
moving. It can be sitting on my desk or, as was the case a few minutes ago,
while I'm holding it. The signal strength varies from full to partial to
none seemingly independent of any factor but time.

What I don't know about cellular telephone systems would overfill Wikipedia,
but I wonder if the nearest tower (which might be on the Troutdale water
tower about 0.5 km south of here as the radio waves fly) might become
overwhelmed with phones trying to connect to it so it shoves mine away and
the phone looks for another tower or just has to wait for the nearest one to
make room for me again. Is this reasonable?

Sometimes the voice call continues when the signal strength disappears, but a
text message won't go out until there's at least some signal strength. I've
no idea how common this behavior is nor whether there's anything I can do
about it. This signal loss/return also happens now and then when I'm in the
Gresham library. It probably happens in other places without my being aware
of it happening.

Rich