# Roaming Charges From Orbit **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 18, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaming-charges-from-orbit/752516 "2016-04-18T00:06:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cabin_fever_1/32/2908_2.png) [@Cabin\_Fever\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cabin_Fever_1)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaming-charges-from-orbit/752516/1 "2016-04-18T00:06:03Z")
I happened upon this [thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=790643) and was wondering about cell phone coverage and charges. Despite repeated calls to ATT, Verizon, et al. they hadn’t a clue. I am Lost In Space and need to call home. dag nabbit. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaming-charges-from-orbit/752516/2 "2016-04-18T00:15:15Z")
You wouldn’t get a signal in the first place, since the antennas are directional, and aren’t aimed up. If you did get a signal, you’d be changing cells far quicker than the system was designed to accommodate, and so would very quickly get your call dropped. If you got a signal and somehow managed to convince the system to keep transferring your call to new cells, the roaming charges would be calculated based on the tower you were over. You wouldn’t be charged for the 300 vertical miles. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaming-charges-from-orbit/752516/3 "2016-04-18T00:16:11Z")
You don’t get cell phone coverage in space. The orientation of the tower antennas makes it difficult at altitudes over 8,000 feet higher than a tower. It’s been tried, you might get a signal up higher than that, but reported attempts show a lot of failed connections. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [April 18, 2016, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/roaming-charges-from-orbit/752516/4 "2016-04-18T03:34:15Z")
It worked for ET. Wonder what his roaming charges came to?