About mobile coverage
Mobile coverage is what allows a mobile to connect to a carrier to call, text or surf. It’s with a SIM card that a mobile or any other mobile unit can connect to the mobile network. This requires that the carrier has coverage.
Depending on what carrier, mobile coverage may vary depending on where you’re located. If you’re outside of a carrier’s coverage you’ll only be able to make emergency calls, and this is due to the fact that carriers are required to offer the ability with whomever you’re signed up with.
Unlike other countries in EU, Sweden has good mobile coverage. This has lead to many users of mobile broadband that connects to a carrier via mobile coverage. This is especially useful in regions where there’s mobile coverage but a lack of broadband development.
- Mobile coverage is used to call, text or surf
- The free market in mobile coverage has lead to more carriers
- If you don’t have mobile coverage through your carrier you can only make emergency calls to 112
- In new buildings you can loose mobile coverage due to building materials
- In a big crowd the coverage can be down despite good mobile coverage
- Developed mobile coverage has lead to an increased use of mobile broadband
- Mobile networks such as 3G, 4G and 5G have good coverage
Connecting to a mobile network
As long as there’s mobile coverage, you can connect to the mobile network in two ways; either by a cash card or subscription. With a cash card you pay for the use, this may for example mean buying a certain amount of data or a fixed number of minutes for calls.
With a subscription you pay a fixed sum which includes a predestined amount of surf and call minutes, both could also be unlimited. Depending on where in the world you are, extra fees may be added for calls and data surf. Within EU there are new rules that allow cost free roaming.
This means that you can call, text and surf without paying roaming fees that would usually come with. There are limitations so that system can’t be abused, but it’s nonetheless a great benefit for customers to be able to call and surf for free within EU.
Issues with mobile coverage
Despite having mobile coverage, you can still have issue when connecting to your carrier. This happens when there’s a big crown in one and the same spot that try to connect to the same mobile tower and send a vast amount of data or call.
A common situation when the mobile network is down is during new years when many people try to text and wish a happy new year at the same time. Other situations when issues may occur are in newly built houses.
Due to new constructions and materials in walls and glass, it may lead to issues with coverage in the building. This in turn means that some building need to be fortified with extra mobile towers. Mobile carriers have also introduced a new technique where calls go sleeplessly between mobile and wifi coverage in your home.
Want to know more about mobile coverage inside? Read more here.