– How does cellular signal reach me behind so many walls?

Question

I understand that radio waves pass through certain material (eg concrete walls), and hence we can receive cellular signals when in an apartment

However lets say I stay in a lower level of a high rise apartment (eg level 3 of a 50 storey tall building) – how does the radio waves penetrate so many walls to reach me? Does the amount of material not matter in this case?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Just as glass is transparent to visible light, your walls are transparent to radio waves.

(The walls aren’t completely transparent, more like tinted glasses. But the radio waves can travel through at least some of the walls and still be “seen” by your phone)