Radio is affected by solar activity because many radio frequencies, especially those used by long-distance or shortwave radio, depend on the Earth’s ionosphere for reflection, which is disrupted by solar flares. Cellular phones, however, use higher frequency bands (UHFVHF) that are not reflected by the ionosphere; instead, they transmit via a line-of-sight connection between the phone and a cell tower, making them much less susceptible to solar interference.
Planes can talk on multiple frequencies, only some of which will be messed up, and not for long. Solar flares are of short duration, and once they stop hitting the earth, equilibrium in the ionosphere is restored fairly quickly.
Is that why cell phone connections have been so weak lately?
Radio is affected by solar activity because many radio frequencies, especially those used by long-distance or shortwave radio, depend on the Earth’s ionosphere for reflection, which is disrupted by solar flares. Cellular phones, however, use higher frequency bands (UHFVHF) that are not reflected by the ionosphere; instead, they transmit via a line-of-sight connection between the phone and a cell tower, making them much less susceptible to solar interference.
https://www.taitcommunications.com/en/about-us/news/geomagnetic-storm-impacts-radio-communications-power-grids
https://www.wmar2news.com/weather/weather-blogs/last-nights-solar-flare-did-not-cause-the-cell-phone-outage
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2024/02/26/att-cellphone-outage-solar-flares-fact-check/72715063007/
Mobile Phones don’t use VHF, only UHF and SHF
Our phones really use uhf/vhf? Dang. I’m a ham nerd but my radio knowledge doesn’t really extend beyond those bands.
Mmmm, hammmm
What services might people have noticed being unusable because of this?
Plane to controller coms.
Planes can talk on multiple frequencies, only some of which will be messed up, and not for long. Solar flares are of short duration, and once they stop hitting the earth, equilibrium in the ionosphere is restored fairly quickly.