Base stations of mobile operators provide connection of subscriber devices to the network, but they are far from the only components of the mobile network. Despite the huge coverage areas and the structure in the form of many stations, mobile communication is centralised.
In this article, you will learn what is included in this centre, how it provides switching of subscribers of different mobile networks and what is phone signal strength.
Table of Contents
The Role of Switches
This is the basis of the entire mobile network. Switches connect all subscribers, as well as to external networks. They work according to the following scheme:
- if subscribers communicate with each other within the network, the switch connects their channels through base stations;
- if a subscriber’s call goes to an external network (another mobile operator), it automatically creates a route, connecting to a third-party switch or gateway, and activating an external connection.
By type of work, switches are divided into voice and packet. The former handles voice calls, while the latter provides both intra-network data transfer and communication with the global Internet.
Databases
Switches only distribute calls and packets, but without properly organised databases, their efficient operation is simply impossible.
Such databases are called registers, and the most important register within the network of a mobile operator is the Home Location Register (HLR).
This database stores information about each subscriber served by a specific switch, that is, who bought and registered the operator’s SIM card.
There is also a guest register, called Visitor Location Register (VLR). This database contains part of the subscriber data from the HLR.
When the phone is roaming, interregional or international, part of the data from the home HLR goes to the VLR of the switch in whose coverage area the subscriber is currently located. This is what allows you to use communications outside the home region, as well as use roaming.
Users should not worry about security. The data in the HLR and VLR databases is not personalised. They contain purely technical information: IMSI (SIM identifier), IMEI (mobile
device identifier), as well as a list of services permitted for use by subscribers and their parameters (for example, the available data package or the maximum permitted data transfer speed).
Authentication And Balance
Since mobile communication is a type of radio communication, operators have made every effort to eliminate unauthorised connections. Thanks to this, the Authentication Centre has appeared in 2G and higher networks.
It checks subscribers and their connections for validity, comparing IMSI with other technical information. When working together with the billing system, it also takes into account the balance of the subscriber’s personal account, granting or denying the centre access to communication services. This system also charges subscribers for services consumed.
What Is More Important: The Quality Or The Signal Level From a Mobile Station?
Every subscriber of a mobile network has probably encountered a situation when there is a signal level scale on the device screen, but the data transfer rate is minimal, and voice calls are constantly interrupted.
Typically, such situations occur much more often when using modern 3G and 4G communication standards. The fact is that the stability of the mobile network is affected not only by the signal level but also by its quality.
What Is the Signal Level And Quality?
The signal level of a mobile operator is an indicator of the strength of the radio signal that a mobile phone receives from the nearest base station.
This level is measured in decibels per milliwatt (dBM) and is usually displayed on the screen of your phone as several stripes or a numerical value.
It would seem that the higher the signal level, the better the quality of the connection and the data transfer rate. But this was the case before when using 2G networks, which were practically not affected by external factors.
In new generation networks, not only the strength but also the quality of the phone signal plays a decisive role.
The quality of a mobile operator’s signal is an indicator of the purity and stability of the radio signal received by a mobile phone from a base station.
The higher the signal quality, the less possible interference and distortion in the connection, which ensures clear and distinct sound during calls and stable data transfer speed. If the signal quality is low, this can lead to
Communication problems, such as noise and interference during calls or slow Internet speed, even if its strength is high.
Only two factors affect the signal strength in general. These are the distance from the mobile operator’s station and the presence of interference on the direct path of the radio wave: dense buildings, mountains, and forests.
The quality of the signal is affected by many more factors: this is the current communication standard, subscriber load, possible interference from other radio equipment or poorly located boosters, as well as the junction zone of signals from different mobile operators.
However, it is important to understand that both of these factors are strictly interconnected in modern mobile networks. If the mobile signal strength is low, it will not be possible to achieve a high-quality connection, just as it will not be possible to take advantage of all the benefits of a stable mobile connection if there is a lot of noise and interference in the radio air (even if you are close to a mobile operator’s tower).
Is It Possible to Improve the Performance of a Mobile Network?
Mobile communications are a very complex distributed infrastructure with different databases, equipment, and systems. But all this becomes useless if your phone or modem shows a minimum number of indicator scales, or they are absent altogether.
If you need to strengthen the connection, then it is best to install a mobile signal amplification system. It can be installed in an apartment, a country house, as well as at industrial facilities, in shopping centres, universities, and hospitals.
We recommend contacting UCtel, which provides high-quality services in amplifying the mobile signal of such operators as EE, Tesco, Vodafone, and others.
Final Thoughts
Today, mobile services are an integral part of everyday life, affecting all aspects of communication, work, and entertainment. Signal strength and quality play a key role in ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of these services.
Insufficient signal strength can cause interruptions and disconnections, slow Internet connections, and, as a result, user dissatisfaction. However, problems with the quality of mobile communications can be solved with the help of signal amplifiers.