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“Sorry, just seeing this.” If you’ve typed that text and it’s actually been true, it might have been after you emerged from a cell signal dead zone. While we’re used to being always connected, there are times when our phone carriers fail us.
Despite a proliferation of cell phone towers, sometimes you’re just not close enough to one, too many people are relying on it, or you're in a building or near an obstacle made of materials that interfere with the signal. Weather can also be a factor.
Whatever the cause, your experience isn’t singular, and Holafly, a travel SIM provider, looked at DeadCellZones.com to tabulate the cities and states with the most dead zone complaints.
(Credit: Holafly)If you don’t live in the great state of Hawaii, you might feel some jealousy toward those who do. But if cell signal is a priority for you, there’s a small consolation. It’s the state with the most cell signal dead zone complaints—282 per million people in the first three quarters of 2024.
That’s how some there like it, though. KITV News attended a community meeting in rural Kauai in May about a proposed cell phone tower, where attendees voiced concerns about these towers potentially falling on homes. (They were more open to satellite connectivity.)
Rocky, mainly rural Maine is the next state when it comes to complaints, with 264 per million. The town of York, where residents have also opposed new tower installations, has been looking to instead tackle the lack of service by installing small cells in traffic signals.
The next state when it comes to cell signal issues is Vermont, which is filled with towering trees. There, 252 residents per million kvetched about their service. But those who live in North Turnbridge can just go over to the general store to use a free public phone that sits out front, thanks to the niche interests in payphones of yore of a Vermont Technical College graduate.
(Credit: Holafly)Bad cell phone service isn’t just a provincial problem in sparsely populated states, though. Big cities face issues, too. Cincinnati, Boulder, and Green Bay top out the list when it comes to complaints. Cincinnati is home to FirstNet, an independent cell service company that ensures first responders’ phones are always connected.
If your cell service is poor, you don’t have to be a first responder to get a good signal. You can make some easy tweaks to your phone, or use signal boosters in your home or on-the-go.