How do Phones work? Explained

Cell Phones have now become an important part of our lives. We use it daily to perform several activities like browsing the web, gaining knowledge from the internet, making long-distance calls, texting, sharing files, and a lot more. Even fifty percent of our audience use mobile phones to read informative articles on our website. But, do you know how do phones work? 

Have you ever wonder how we can make calls to other persons wirelessly? How we are able to access the internet with mobile data? How do the mobile towers work, and how do satellite phones work? Keep reading, as we will be answering all these queries today.

How do Phones Work?

In the olden days, we used to have landline phones. Therefore, the concept was simple for people as we were able to connect to each other through a cable. The concept hasn’t changed much now. Modern cell phones also use the same concept. Our mobile phones are surely wireless, but the entire transmission is happening through wires.

How? Let me explain in detail. 

You might also be interested in learning How to Connect Mobile Internet to PC.

So, Before we talk about How do Cell Phones Work, you need to understand how landline phones used to work. 

How do Phones Work in the olden days? (Landline Phones)

When we buy a Landline Phone, it is connected through a coaxial cable. The voice message is converted into a signal and send through the cable. All the cables in the neighborhood are joined at a junction Pole (or Exchange Port), which is connected to the Exchange Office. 

When we make a call, it sends a request to the Exchange Office through the Exchange Port. The Exchange Office figures out where the call is made, then it connects the call through the Exchange Port nearby the receiver. 

The modern cell phones we use also work on the same concept. Let’s understand how.

How Do Cell Phones Work?

First, we register a number and use it on our cell phones. When you make a call through a cell phone, it converts the voice message into a signal and sends it to the antenna. However, the antennas in our mobiles are not powerful enough to send signals to other cities. The strength of our mobile antenna is capable of sending signals up to a few miles only. 

So, you might be thinking, how are we able to connect to the person living in other cities, states, and other countries?

Actually, the mobile antenna sends the signal to a nearby mobile tower. You might have seen several mobile towers in your locality and outskirts. But, even the mobile towers are not powerful enough to send signals to other cities, states, and countries. Here the towers are just working as an Exchange Port. 

These towers are connected to the Exchange Office (now called as Mobile Switching Center) through optical fiber cables. The mobile switching center also stores all your data, which you provided as proof while registering the number. There are Switching Centers in several cities. So when the tower sends signals to the Switching Center, it transfers the signals to another Switching Center which is located near the recipient. Then again, the Signals are transferred to the mobile tower, and finally, the recipient gets your call.

It might seem like a long process, but all the process is happening with the speed of light. Therefore, it takes some time to connect when you are the other person is out of town, or far from the tower. Only the transmission between your mobile and the tower is wireless, everything else is connected through underground optical cables. 

This is how cell phones work. But, there is more. So far we have discussed that the signals are transmitted through underground cables. But, how are we able to connect to the people living in other countries and continents?

How are International Calls made?

Even International Calls are made through cables. Yes. Switching Centers of different countries and continents are connected through underwater optical fiber cables.

Here is the Submarine Cables Map that shows all the underwater cables connecting from one continent to another.

How phones are traced?

Switching Center contains all the details of the user and the location from which they have attempted to make a call with the help of mobile towers.

How Cell Phone Towers Work?

The below picture is an example of how Cell Phone Towers look. Now let’s talk about How Cell Phone Towers Work. There are two types of Antenna in a tower.

The long antenna which you can see in the image is called GSM Antenna. The GSM Antenna is responsible for sending and receiving signals from mobile phones.

There are also several dish-shaped antennas on a tower, which are called Microwave Antenna. These are used to send and receive signals between each other.

How do Satellite Phones Work?

There is so much to talk about Satellite Phones, but today I will explain to you the basics of how it works. 

Satellite Phones are usually used in the border area by the soldiers. Why they do not use regular mobile phones? There are two reasons:

• Our mobile phones require a cell phone tower nearby to send or receive signals. It is not capable of reaching far distances. 
• Suppose we do establish a Cell Phone Tower nearby. When the opponents are attacking, they will try to cut off communication by destroying the tower first. Hence, there will be no means of communication.

When you use a Satellite Phone, it sends signals to the satellite (located in outer space), and the satellite sends back a signal to the recipient. 

There are also major disadvantages of using a Satellite Phone. 

• The voice is not clear, as the signals need to travel the atmosphere and return back. 
• It is very expensive.
• It is very difficult to trace the location.
• Besides that, enemies can hack and catch the signal. Therefore, army people speak in code language, as you might have seen in many movies.

Moreover, while using Satellite Phones, you can either send or receive signals, not both at the same time. For example, you can talk and hear the other person at the same time, but that does not work on Satellite Phones. You can either hold the button and send a message or leave the button to receive the message. Therefore, soldiers use special techniques to overcome this restriction. They say terms like “Over” when they are finished talking so that the other person can speak. And they say ” Over and Out” when ending the conversation. 

Conclusion:

Let’s revise How Cell Phones Work again. The phone sends a signal to a tower, then the tower sends it to Switching Center, then again it is transmitted to another tower, and finally reaches the recipient. When you make a call, it should go through all that process. That is why you receive calls lately even if you have another phone beside you. 

So, I hope with this article you are able to understand How do phones work? We will also discuss mobile network generations like 2G, 3G, 4G, 5G, LTE, and VoLTE in another article. 

Leave a comment below if you have any queries.