Out of town, mobile signal follows the towers, and towers follow roads, towns and high ground. Once you know that, you can usually guess where the signal will be, and with a measured map you do not have to guess.
Where signal usually is
- On high ground with a view. A ridge, a rise or a pass often has a line of sight to a distant tower that the valley below does not.
- Along main roads and near towns. Towers are put where people are.
- Out in the open. Forest, deep gorges and steep valley sides block signal.
Where it usually is not
- In kloofs, gorges and narrow valleys, even close to a town.
- On the far side of a mountain from the nearest tower.
- In wide, empty country far from roads, such as the Karoo or the outback.
When you have no bars
- Go back the way you came, to where you last had signal.
- Climb to open ground if it is safe to.
- Try a text; it may go out where a call will not.
- In an emergency, dial anyway: an emergency call can use another carrier's network. See does 112 work on any network?
Know before you go
A carrier's coverage map is a prediction. LastBar's map is measured by phones that were there, and marks the places where they found no signal too. Save the area before your trip, and the app's Find Signal can give you the distance and direction to the nearest signal with no connection.
Questions people ask
Why do I have signal on the ridge but not in the valley?
Mobile signal travels in nearly straight lines from the tower. On a ridge you can often see a distant tower; in a valley the slopes are in the way.
Does holding the phone up help?
A little, sometimes, but moving to higher, open ground helps far more than lifting the phone.
Is there an app that shows where signal is offline?
LastBar keeps a map of where phones measured signal, and where they measured none, on your phone, and guides you to the nearest signal with no connection.
