# Dramatic change in mobile service. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 14, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051 "2015-05-14T17:36:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/1 "2015-05-14T17:36:09Z")
What would cause a dramatic change for the worse in cell service availability given that the following have remained unchanged?: 1. Same phone (iPhone 5S) 2. Same provider (AT&T) 3. Same plan (no modification) 4. Phone has not been dropped or otherwise damaged or modified 5. Same travel patterns and destinations Inquiring minds want to know… ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/2 "2015-05-14T17:43:45Z")
Define “change”… number of bars? battery longevity? quality of connection and sound? up/download speed? ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/3 "2015-05-14T17:49:44Z")
No bars and no service in places that absolutely had service just last month. ---
**Author:** ![Saturn\_Dreams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/dc4da7/32.png) [@Saturn\_Dreams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saturn_Dreams)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 2:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/4 "2015-05-15T02:59:51Z")
You’re getting bad reception everywhere and not just in one particular area? It could be a bad RF chip in your phone. ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 3:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/5 "2015-05-15T03:31:53Z")
Do other people on AT&T find the same thing at this location? If not then yes, phone is faulty. ---
**Author:** ![Dag\_Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@Dag\_Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dag_Otto)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/6 "2015-05-15T04:06:23Z")
Towers in your area are not owned by AT&T but leased, and the lease/support agreement expired? ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2015, 11:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/7 "2015-05-15T11:55:49Z")
Possibly the towers, they may be changing frequencies to ones you do not have on your phone, but that one is pretty modern. Perhaps a full reset of the phone and or a iOS full reinstall may help. Maybe a corrupted update of the frequencies was sent to you phone or got corrupted on your phone. You might have switched a setting on your phone to off, such as allow voice over LTE. Your phone’s hardware may have bit the dust. ---
**Author:** ![andrewm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c57346/32.png) [@andrewm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewm)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dramatic-change-in-mobile-service/720051/8 "2015-05-17T02:16:45Z")
Have you tried rebooting it?