In this article I wanted to delve into the question - what happens when there is no mobile signal?
When the mobile phone was first invented (1973) by Martin Cooper (a Motorola researcher and Eexecutive) it was never envisaged that, 44 years later we would be using these devices for much more than phone calls.
related articles: What do people use their cell phones for beside phone calls?
In 2014, nearly 60% of the worldwide population owned a mobile phone. The number of mobile phone users in the world is expected to pass the five billion mark by 2019. (www.quora.com)
What do you expect from you mobile phone?
When you walk out your front door you expect your mobile phone to just, well.......work! When you pick up your phone to make a call, you expect a clear line of communication. What happens when these things don't happen?
Typically, you would be a bit miffed, move to another area to get a clearer signal or resort to the old fashioned solution - pick up a landline.
What would you do if you could not get to another area?
What if there was no landline?
More importantly, what would you do if you were in an emergency situation?
This week, the BBC news reported on a girls life being saved due to the quick thinking of Mike Everett a 24 year old electronics student from Bristol. It was reported that Mike was scanning the airwaves from his home when he heard a mayday call made by Jon Matthews, a fellow amateur radio enthusiast.
Jon was on a camping holiday in Exmoor and had taken a mobile radio with him on his trip. A young girl fell ill whilst on holiday and took an epileptic seizure. Jon had used the mobile radio to put out a mayday call.
Related article: Radio Ham rescues epileptic girl on remote Exmoor campsite
There was no mobile phone reception in the Exmoor area so without the radio, Jon would not have had an alternative means of communication. It was luck that Mike heard the cry for help and contacted the emergency services, ultimately saving the young girls life.
Why leave it to luck?
There are a multitude of situations where mobile phone are not a suitable choice of communications. If you needed critical communications would you rely on your mobile phone?
In a situation where clear lines of communication can be the only means of saving a life, two way radio come out on top in:
These days,there is a huge choice of two way radio that are accessible to everyone - don't take the risk