How do receiving cell towers differentiate between messages?

Cell phones use antennae to transmit and receive radio waves that carry binary information. Every cell tower presides over an area of land, where it receives and transmits radio waves. When a text message is written, it is transmitted as binary code using a particular frequency of radio waves specific to that user.

How do cell phones communicate with towers?

How Do Cell Towers Work? Whenever a cell phone is used, it emits an electromagnetic radio wave, called a radio frequency, that is received by the nearest cell tower’s antenna. Once the cell tower receives this signal, it will transmit the signals to a switching center.

How are cell phone signals transmitted and received?

Cell phones contain at least one radio antenna in order to transmit or receive radio signals. An antenna converts an electric signal to the radio wave (transmitter) and vice versa (receiver). In addition to the cellular antenna, they may also have Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and/or GPS antennas.

How do texts travel?

Once your message is typed, it travels through radio waves to the control channel. The control channel is the pathway that allows your phone to communicate with your cell phone tower so that your phone can send and receive calls, data packets and SMS messages.

Do cell towers communicate with each other?

Cell phones communicate with nearby cell towers mainly through RF waves, a form of energy in the electromagnetic spectrum between FM radio waves and microwaves. Like FM radio waves, microwaves, visible light, and heat, they are forms of non-ionizing radiation.

How many cell phones can a tower support?

An average cellular tower allows about 30 simultaneous users for voice calls and 60 for 4G data.

How much power does a cell tower transmit?

Although the FCC permits an effective radiated power (ERP) of up to 500 watts per channel (depending on the tower height), the majority of cellular or PCS cell sites in urban and suburban areas operate at an ERP of 100 watts per channel or less.

Is it possible to build a cell tower with multiple gigabits?

If demand warranted, theoretically it should be possible to build a cell tower with multiple Gigabits of available bandwidth. But of course this depends on a number of highly variable factors. My guess is that today’s highest capacity cell towers can provide aggregate bandwidth in the low hundreds of megabits.

What is the aggregate throughput available at a cell tower site?

Aggregate throughput available at a cell tower site is limited by several different factors including: Aggregate capacity of the spectrum and protocol being deployed in the area including factoring in reductions for interference from neighboring sites and connected client devices

What is the data carrying capacity of a cell tower?

Originally Answered: What is the data carrying capacity of a cell tower? Most carriers are designing 1.5-3 mbps to 2G towers, 5-10 mbps to 3G towers and 50-100 mbps to 4G towers. 2G – EDGE can have 8 users for every time slot, with around 6-8 dedicated for data, so around 40-50 users simultaneously.

How far can a cell phone tower reach?

Inner-city towers are typically good for up to one to two miles; however, the towers’ cell signals can be blocked by tall buildings, more so by a newer, predominantly “steel” type of skyscraper.