I can see a tower, yet I still have no signal...

Have you ever been out somewhere and could not get strong enough signal to make a call, only being more frustrated that you can see a tower directly in front of you? There is an easy explanation. As you may recall, I have stated before how not all service providers use the same signal, and not all towers broad cast all signals. Let us take this a step further. We have also discussed in previous posts that there are carriers that operate on the same frequency. So, just for an example, let's say that you are traveling with a friend in a rural area and you are running late and are trying to contact someone at your destination to let them know. You redial several times only to realize that you do not have coverage in that area. Already frustrated that you are late and can not let anyone know, your frustration grows when your passengers phone rings and they take the call with no problems. You now know what carriers operate on what signals, and with this knowledge you realize that you are both using the same signal type. Why does only one phone work? This can also be easily explained. Cellular towers are quite costly to build and operate. Cellular companies often lease their tower usage to other carriers, and these leases are on a tower by tower basis not all inclusive. So, lets say for example that you have Sprint and your friend has Verizon. The reason they have service and you do not, is simply that the nearest tower is owned/operated, or leased for use for Verizon, and Sprint does not have a deal established to use that particular tower. I would like to say that this is just an example. I am not saying that Verizon has any more or less towers than Sprint, this could easily work the other way with Verizon not in a leasing arrangement with Sprint, or US Cellular, or any other CDMA service. There is a way to still be able to place this call. Most(not all) phones have an ability to switch on and off roaming capabilities. (Roaming simply means using another compatible signal other than your carriers, despite the common misconception that it is based on location.)If your phone has this capability you can choose to enable roaming, and make your call. Please be warned, depending on your chosen calling plan there is a good chance that you will be paying additional charges for using a competitors signal as your carrier will be charged more for the use of the tower that they are not in a lease with. No one wants additional charges, but in an emergency situation it is nice to know you have a back up plan. Most carriers have their handsets pre-programed not to roam unless the setting is changed by the end user. -but roaming is a topic for another posting.