If you’ve flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, you may have noticed that your cell phone suddenly loses its signal when you board the plane. No, it’s not something you’re doing, and it’s not your imagination… it’s a real thing.
The Boeing 787 often blocks cell phone signals
In general, cell phone data around airports often isn’t great. However, there’s an additional issue that’s specific to the Boeing 787, which I know leaves many people confused.
The second you board a Boeing 787, you may notice that your signal suddenly gets much worse, or is lost completely. Let me be clear — this isn’t always the case, and often you still get a signal. However, it happens way more than on other planes, and it’s due to something specific related to this popular wide body jet (and this is something that Boeing engineers have even confirmed).
Obviously this can be frustrating. Many people still try to get some stuff done during boarding, whether it’s sending some emails from your phone, making a phone call, or tethering on your laptop.
So, what causes this issue, and why is it specific to the Boeing 787? I’m really bad at science, but let me explain my understanding of the “reliable” theories I’ve heard.
The first explanation that I ever heard for this is that it’s because the Boeing 787 is made up of composite materials, so it uses a wire rebar for structural integrity. That rebar apparently interferes with cellular signals on the plane.
But then I’ve heard other knowledgable people say that’s not quite right, and that the copper mesh embedded in the carbon fiber composite creates a faraday cage. That copper mesh is needed so that if lighting strikes the plane, it doesn’t blow a hole in the carbon fiber.
Then there’s another explanation that I’ve commonly seen thrown around, which is that it’s related to the electrically controlled windows, and the fact that they have transparent electrodes coated on them, which transmit light but not radio frequency, leading to poor cell reception.
Honestly, I don’t know which of the three explanations is correct, or if the truth is a combination of multiple of those factors. What I do know is that this is a very real thing, though.
What explains the inconsistency, though?
Okay, while I can’t even explain exactly what causes this issue, what’s even more puzzling to me is what explains the huge inconsistency. Sometimes I’ll have a Boeing 787 flight where I have zero data issues, and sometimes I’ll have a 787 flight where I have zero data for an hour on the ground.
Does anyone want to take a stab at what explains this variance? Is it a function of where on the plane you’re sitting? Is it that at airports with a weak signal, it’s just even weaker on the 787?
Bottom line
On the Boeing 787, it’s normal to lose your cell phone signal as soon as you step on the plane. This is a common issue that’s related to the fuselage of the jet, or the windows, or a combination of the two. What I still haven’t been able to work out, though, is what causes the inconsistency.
Have you noticed the issue with cell phone data on the Boeing 787?
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