When Your Event WiFi Fails: Inside the Dead Zone Problem at Trade Shows and Conferences

How Do Cell Phones Affect Attention in School Classroom

Teachers have a hard time competing with cell phones for their students' attention.

As a teacher, you're probably used to students not paying attention in class. But a study by the University of Houston found that even when teachers are actively engaging their students and presenting engaging material, cell phones can still be more interesting than your lesson plan. Students' phones are personalized and often have games and contact with friends on them. They also offer constant distraction: if one student is on their phone during class, other students may feel like they need to check their own devices too.

In addition, it's not just about competition with cell phones—teachers can be less interesting than cell phones themselves! Many people find teachers boring because they're used to interacting online through social media platforms or texting friends instead of speaking face-to-face in class. Additionally, many young people don't have much respect for authority figures anymore because society has become so open and liberal; if you try telling a teenager not to use their phone in school now, chances are good that they won't listen or care what you say at all!

Is It Right For Schools to Block Cell Phone Reception?

Schools are increasingly becoming more aggressive about blocking cell phone signals in their classrooms.  Are they doing this because a few select students are abusing the rules of no cell phone?  There will always be students who break the rules and disrupt others but aren't there other ways to solve the problem of using phones in the classroom?  How about turning your phones off when you enter the classroom?   Turn them on vibrate?  No texting during class?  Confiscation of phones used during class?  

Our map has a database of school cell phone coverage problems you can search here.   

Does Your School Have Cell Phone Service Problems?

1)  Does the school block signals using a cell phone signal jammer?

2)  How far is the school from the nearest cell phone tower? 

3)  What material is the building made out of concrete, steel, or wood?

4)  Are hills or trees blocking cell phone signals?

5)  Does the school allow students to make phone calls and send text messages over WiFi when a cellular signal is not present?

6)  Has the school installed cell phone DAS antennas/repeaters?  

7)  Does the school have adequate WiFi coverage in every classroom and location throughout the school campus?  

Some teachers support the idea of using cell phones in class.

Cell phones are tools of the future.

You can use them to connect with students. Students and teachers often communicate via text messages, email, or social media. This allows you to communicate with your students outside of class time and gives them a way to reach out if they have questions or concerns about their work (or even just want some encouragement).

You can use them as an engaging tool in the classroom. If a student is bored or distracted by something that you're teaching, allow them to check their phone and then ask them how it relates back to the lesson at hand when they return their attention back to you and your lesson plan!

They can be used for assessment purposes so that teachers know which areas need more attention when working with each student individually after class periods end by using data collected through multiple assessments throughout different components like quizzes/exams etc...

Cellphones make research easier than ever before! Teachers will no longer have problems finding sources quickly because everything is right there on hand thanks on those handy little devices called "smartphones."

Teachers say that when they use cell phones in class, it changes their teaching style.

Teachers say that when they use cell phones in class, it changes their teaching style. The teacher must learn to use mobile technology to teach effectively; they must be willing to learn about new technology and be willing to change their teaching style if necessary.

Cell phone learning apps are being developed to make learning more fun and interactive.

Learning apps are being developed to make learning more fun and interactive.

Learning apps have been around for a long time, but they're becoming increasingly popular with students who want to learn on their own time. Not all learning apps are available for every operating system, such as Android or iOS (the operating systems for mobile phones). Some apps are free, while others cost money. Some are designed for teachers only; some are designed for students only (or both). Learning apps can help students focus and pay attention when using their cell phones for schoolwork, which can give them an edge over other kids who don't use this technology properly in class or at home. Teachers can monitor student progress through these applications if they wish to do so; this is especially helpful if there's an issue with discipline at school where certain types of behavior may need additional attention from administrators as well as parents!

Classroom learning and mobile phone use can go hand in hand, but it depends on the way mobile phones are used in the classroom.

In a classroom setting, there are many ways to use mobile phones as learning tools. Mobile devices can be used for taking notes and creating presentations, for example. Teachers can also create apps that harness the power of mobile devices and make them even more useful in the classroom setting. For example, an app might allow students to research topics and then share their findings with other students on the fly. In this way, teachers can incorporate technology into their curriculum while still maintaining control over what students access and how they use it in class.

The key to getting student attention is not banning all cell phone use during class time; instead, teachers should focus on when they want their students’ attention (i.e., during lectures) and develop strategies for making sure that happens without interrupting learning opportunities or causing distractions (i.e., having someone else take attendance).

Does Your School Have Cell Phone Service Problems?

Do Schools Block Cell Phone Signals? 

We were interviewed today by CBS TV in Fort Lauderdale, Florida which is doing a news story on cell phone coverage in schools.  They were asking questions about whether schools block cell phone signals in schools or whether cell coverage is just a factor of the cell phone tower being located too far from the school.  

The cell phone coverage in each school depends on a lot of factors.  

1)  Does the school block signals using a cell phone signal jammer?

2)  How far is the school from the nearest cell phone tower? 

3)  What material is the building made out of concrete, steel, or wood?

4)  Are hills or trees blocking cell phone signals?

5)  Does the school allow students to make phone calls and send text messages over WiFi when a cellular signal is not present?

6)  Has the school installed cell phone DAS antennas/repeaters?  

7)  Does the school have adequate WiFi coverage in every classroom and location throughout the school campus?  

Here is another community in California concerned about cell phone towers causing cancer on school campuses.  Sprint actually removed a cell phone tower on campus because it was thought it could have caused 4 cases of cancer. 

Please add your comments to this story below about cell phone coverage and policies in your school.  What are your thoughts about having cell phone coverage in the school?  

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iPhone 4 Bars But No AT&T Service

Red Devil Lounge
1695 Polk St at Clay, San Francisco
"We Are the iPhone of Nightclubs . . .  4 Full Bars but Crappy Service"

10 Reasons Why Skype Will Make You Rich

Skype's IPO could be one of the hottest new technology stocks to hit Wall Street since Google's IPO at $100 per share in 2004.  If Skype (now the largest wireless carrier in the world) does in fact do a silent auction IPO (similar to Google's IPO process) and only sells a small portion of the company (< 25%)  I think the stock will fly higher.  Owning shares of the Skype IPO could make you rich and dumping your wireless carrier could save you even more money and make your richer.   Here are 10 reasons why this could be one of the most exciting and disruptive companies to big telecom over the next decade.  The day of reckoning may soon be here . . .

#1 - Making quality 3G phone calls over AT&T, Verizon, Sprint & T-Mobile is impossible.  It is a rarity these days when my call doesn't drop in the first few seconds or on a call.  The carrier networks are just horrible and do not work and the problem is only getting worse.

#2 - If you have ever used Skype to make international phone calls you know just how special and unique the service is.  The voice and video quality is tremendous.  I am always perplexed why the same video quality experience can't be achieved when make Skype calls inside the US.  I say it's big telecom technical shenanigans screwing with VoIP packets across the network.

#3 - The service is currently FREE for Skype to Skype calls.  As soon as this company is public the shareholders will likely demand more profits and demand the company expand its advertising capabilities for its free users.  Personally, I don't really care because Google did the same thing and I think their search advertising is highly relevant.

#4 - Making Skype to any phone line is dirt cheap and will likely soon be free as well as soon as their advertising CPMs are high enough to pull the 2 cents per minute rates.

#5 - Skype will soon be the largest carrier in the world with over 500+ million active users and they have 13% of the International call market share according to The Inquisitr.  China Mobile is #2 with 527 million users, #17 Verizon 92M, #17 AT&T 87M, Sprint 48M, T-Mobile USA 33M.

#6 - Skype's annual revenue will near $1B next year even though only 6% of their customers are paying for minutes according to Tech Crunch.  Skype is wildly underpricing the value of their service and yet most consumers continue to pay their wireless carrier $50 per month or $600 per year.

#7 - US wireless carriers are still hawking prepaid data plans where minutes expire.  This is a complete scam and will likely be disrupted in the coming years as consumers and businesses get smart.  Pay as you go and advertising-based plans could save most users thousands of dollars per year.

#8 - Every smartphone will soon have a front-end video camera and some time of Skype or Google Voice software client on the phone eventually.   With Google Voice gaining steam this will only continue to educate consumers that VoIP phone calls over Wifi is the only way to make calls.

#9 - US wireless carriers are investing billions of dollars to build out 4G, LTE, WiMAX networks when more like more than 50%+ of phone calls are made indoors.   Wifi is still the best solution to connect through Skype to VoIP and likely will be for years to come.  Why do you need an expensive voice service?

#10 - Have you ever tried shopping for a phone in Europe or Asia?  Well, guess what you get to pick the wireless service FIRST and then the carrier.  Sounds backward doesn't it having to chose the iPhone being locked into AT&T.  Consumers are tired of cell phones being tied to specific carriers and want a standard platform where all phones work on all carriers. No more contracts and horrible wireless service carriers who's only value is lining the pocketbooks of shareholders with huge dividends.  Skype's service and Android operating system may soon have the power, scale and leverage to make this happen throughout the world with a Skype Phone.

AT&T Wifi Hotspot Locations Map

AT&T Wi-Fi Network of U.S. Hotspot Locations

LTE Cell Phone Tower Industry Growth

Stadiums & Airports Are A Focus for LTE 4G Not Current 3G Cell Phone Towers

LTE 4G cell phone tower build outs will NOT be as big of an opportunity as projected by the analysts for the cell phone tower operators like American Tower, SBA Communications and Crown Castle. Carriers are taking a much more rifled and focused approach to building out new towers versus the shotgun approach used for 3G network build outs.  Carriers are taking 3+ years to build out the new faster networks and only will do it if the demand is there.  

New cell sites are getting built at 4G airports & stadiums that have concentrations of people and customers.  These high traffic areas first are also getting smaller cell tower antennas which are taking on different forms like distributed antenna systems and femtocells.  Tower operators are starting to use new systems built by femtocell manufacturers that are starting to eat into the traditional cell tower business.  One other new industry growth opportunity would be for one of the cell tower operators to get into the Wi-Fi business because many speculate that Wi-Fi cell phone towers are the future.

In order to understand this read up on the "inside out" strategy for building the LTE networks. Carriers are building out LTE 4G much differently than they did 3G which was much of a shotgun approach without much focus. Carriers will focus on smaller sites first like stadiums, malls, hotels and homes (using femtocells) and then move to build out where capacity is needed most. Its not the same as a 3G where they blanketed entire markets. Carriers also recognize that devices aren't ready yet for the masses and most people are not going to be watching movies in their cars or outdoors.  This is why AT&T to Spend $1B on Free Femtocells does not bode well for the cell phone tower operators who don't have their tentacles in this market yet.

Article in reference to: Tower industry primed for growth with carrier buildouts - RCR Wireless News (view on Google Sidewiki)

Ree related posts: Forget 4G Cell Towers, Bring on Femtocells

AT&T to Spend $1B on Free Femtocells

AT&T To Give Away 10 million Microcells (Femtocells)

AT&T plans to spend $4B to enhance its network and $1B of this to be allocated at giving away 10 million  Microcells at $100 each.  This is only 12% of their entire customer base and we speculate that its' loyal small business customers who desperately need home or business coverage will get priority.  We are simply foreshadowing the inevitable news that AT&T seems to be avoided as they can sell early adopters this first iteration of the Cisco manufactured AT&T Home Cell Tower or MicroCell for $150.

AT&T has rolled this out in about a half dozen markets and claims they will go Nationwide later this spring or summary.  I think they are testing the market to see how early adopters are just willing to pay $150 and $20 per month for enhanced in-building coverage.  We speculate they are going to be forced into giving away a minimum of 10M femtocells (Microcell mini cell phone towers) to its' customers that cost them $100 each because of pressures from the cable operators and the smaller operators.  These mini cell phone towers will fix the horrible coverage more than 40M of AT&T's customers have indoors. 10M microcells would only be a fraction of their customer base of 80M that actually needs the product or may switch to another dump pipe operator in the near future.

See our related posts about the Microcell:  AT&T Customers Will Soon Be Happy,