I've been living right next to an elementary school for five years, and I've noticed that my cell data speeds plummet as soon as school starts back up. During the summer, everything works perfectly fine, but once school is in session, I can hardly load videos or even basic websites—this happens at all hours, even late at night. I initially thought it might be my phone or SIM card, but it turns out this slowdown starts just before school opens and bounces back when summer arrives. Is it a coincidence, or could the school be using some kind of signal interference? I'm concerned about safety since my kid just started school there, and there's absolutely no phone service inside the building. To make matters worse, my boyfriend has a different carrier and he experiences slower speeds too, just not as extreme as mine.
5 Answers
It sounds like the school might be using a signal jammer to minimize phone usage among students, which is illegal in many places. You might want to contact your telecommunications regulator to investigate further!
Yeah, but even at 2 AM, the service shouldn’t be so bad. That’s where things get a bit fishy!
If you notice this happening even outside of school hours, it could be an issue with signal interference. Complaining to the FCC might be your best bet, especially if you can pinpoint the problem with local towers.
For sure! It sounds like you need to do a bit of detective work. Look up where the nearest cell towers are and see if it correlates to times your service drops.
Definitely check if it’s a consistent issue over weekends, too. If you’re still facing problems, something is definitely off!
Your experience aligns with what many others face near highly congested areas like schools. During a school day, all those phones competing for signal can create a lot of interference. Maybe consider asking your provider about getting a closer tower or a Microcell?
That makes sense! Everyone trying to connect could be sending out lots of signals. But if it kicks in before school starts, I wonder if it’s more than just congestion.
Unless there's some kind of prior arrangement with the school, I doubt it’s just congestion that lasts all night.
This could definitely be a tower issue—too many kids using their phones may be overwhelming the nearby tower. It’s pretty common when you’re near schools.
You might want to check your phone settings and switch between 5G and LTE; that sometimes helps with connectivity issues around crowded places. A quick restart can also work wonders!
True! Using a jammer can really get someone in trouble. I once heard about a guy who faced serious consequences for using one near an airport—definitely not something you want to mess with!