Eli5:Why is it that cell phones , with their tiny antenaes are able to download files at LTE speeds inside concrete buildings from cell towers kilometers away yet getting wifi to work behind a corner is an exercise in frustration?
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There are many good explanations of different factors at play here (frequencies, number of routers/cell towers, signal power, etc), but I’d like to clear up a couple of assumptions you made here. In urban areas, cell towers are generally not kilometers away. And when cell towers *are* kilometers away, you won’t get your typical LTE speeds, it will be slower. There is always a tradeoff between connection speed and signal range – the higher the signal range, the lower the speed, and vice-versa. Of course, every new generation generally increases the speed for a certain range, but that truth still stays. I mean, think about it, if you didn’t have that tradeoff, we would all (probably) be using satellite internet.
Also, Concrete buildings don’t necessarily let cell signals through. What most concrete buildings have, though, are windows – and they do let signals through. But if you’re in a concrete building without any windows, and there’s nothing to bring the cell signal there, chances are, you won’t get any reception.
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