How does wireless phone service work?
When you make a call on your wireless phone, a generated signal goes to a nearby cellular tower. The tower redirects the information and forwards it to a switching station. The switch reads and redirects your call to its final destination. As you travel through the network, you’ll automatically switch from one cell site to another cell site. (hand-off) My first bill You’re billed one month of service in advance plus a partial charge for the current month of service to the end of the billing cycle. This partial charge is a pro-ration. We pro-rate your current month’s minutes, too. The first invoice may also include a one-time activation charge, taxes, Universal Service Fund (USF) and Emergency 911 charges. Other charges may include additional minutes over your plan, roaming and long distance charges, and possible equipment charges.
When you make a call on your wireless phone, your phone generates a radio signal. This signal is picked up by an antenna on the nearby cell site tower. This antenna is tuned to a specific frequency so it can tell the difference in a cellular phone, radio station, television station, etc. The cellular tower redirects the signal from your phone to a switching station which reads the contents of your phone’s radio transmission. It sees the number you are trying to reach and it redirects your call along a specific line to its final destination. After the connection is established, your phone sends your voice as a radio signal to the tower, through the switch and to the final destination of the call. When you listen, you are hearing signals from the cellular tower received by your phone. Since radio signals weaken the farther away they travel, you must be within range of a cellular tower to make and receive calls. Each cellular tower covers a specific area called a cell.
Similar to how a cordless phone works with its base in your kitchen or bedroom, wireless phones receive and transmit messages using low-power radio transmitters located in your community. Each transmitter serves a geographic area called a cell. Equipment within each cell relays your message to a mobile telephone switching office, which in turn sends the message to the local landline telephone system to complete your connection. As you travel from cell to cell, your calls are transferred to you without interruption.
A. When you make a call, your wireless phone generates a radio signal. An antenna on a nearby cell tower picks up the signal, then redirects the signal from your phone to a switching station. The switching station (“the switch”) reads the contents of your phone’s radio transmission to determine the number you are trying to reach, then redirects your call along a specific line to its final destination. Once a connection is established, your phone sends your voice as radio signals to the cell tower, through the switch, and to the end of the line. When you listen, you are hearing radio signals from the cell tower received by your phone.
