Four Bars… Yet Calls Still Drop?

We hear the same stories from customers every week:

• “Fine at home, but useless at work.”
• “Bars are full, but the internet barely loads.”
• “Switched carriers twice but nothing changed.”

The truth: it’s rarely one simple problem.
Building materials, tower locations, your phone model, even overseas band compatibility — everything matters.
That’s why checking real signal strength (dBm) is the first step before choosing a carrier.

Before Switching Carriers, Ask Yourself:

If any of these sound familiar, checking dBm is overdue.

• You get different results depending on location.
• Other people on the same carrier have no issues.
• Bars look full but calls glitch or drop.
• Internet works but crawls at random spots.

Instead of blaming the carrier right away,
measure dBm and SINR first — then compare carriers logically.

Step 1: Forget the Bars. Read the dBm Number.

dBm is the real signal strength. Lower is worse.

• -70 dBm: Excellent
• -80 to -90 dBm: Good
• -100 dBm and below: Weak
• -110 dBm or lower: Barely usable

How to check on iPhone (Field Test Mode)

1. Open the Phone app.
2. Dial *3001#12345#* and call.
3. Enter Field Test Mode → look for RSRP (dBm).
4. -80 dBm = good.
   -100 dBm or worse = poor.

How to check on Samsung / Android

1. Settings → About Phone → Status → SIM status
   or Settings → Connections → Mobile Network.
2. Look for RSRP / RSRQ / SINR.
3. RSRP = strength.
   SINR = quality.

These numbers tell the truth that bars hide.

Step 2: Test Your Real-Life Locations

Test where you actually live, work, and move daily.

1. Turn Wi-Fi off (mobile data only).
2. Walk around your home — lounge, bedroom, kitchen, garage.
3. Repeat at your workplace — desk, meeting room, lift area, outdoors.
4. Record dBm and speed test results.

This becomes your personal coverage map — far more accurate than any carrier website.

Step 3: Choose Your Carrier Based on Data, Not Hype

NZ has Spark, One NZ (Vodafone), and 2degrees — plus sub-brands that use these networks.
Coverage maps are marketing material. dBm is reality.

Christchurch patterns

Some blocks around the CBD, malls, and airport zones show strong performance for one carrier while others fall below -100 dBm.
Switching carriers blindly often solves nothing.

North-West Auckland patterns

Areas near Westgate show mixed results — sometimes 2degrees wins, sometimes One NZ does, and Spark varies by street.
Only your own dBm test gives a real answer.

Weak Signal Even After Switching? Your Phone May Be the Problem.

We often see cases where:

• Everyone else has signal, but your phone shows SOS Only / No Service.
• Signal got worse after a drop.
• Water damage caused random dead zones.

This usually means antenna failure, damaged coax cable, RF issues, or baseband faults.
We compare with test devices and multiple SIMs to isolate whether it’s the carrier or the phone.

Step 4: Understand the Basics (RSRP, SINR, Bands)

• RSRP / dBm = raw signal strength
• RSRQ / SINR = signal quality vs noise
• Bands 3 / 28 / 1 / 7 / 40 = NZ’s key LTE/5G frequencies

Overseas phones may miss crucial NZ bands — causing weak signal in certain areas no matter which carrier you use.

Step 5: If Your Signal Is Still Bad, These Articles Help

• 
  Why Your Phone Shows “SOS Only” or “No Service”
  
• 
  How to Check VoLTE After NZ’s 3G Shutdown
  
• 
  Why NZ Is Shutting Down 3G (and Why You Need 4G/5G)
  

If you want, you can send us screenshots of your dBm measurements and we can tell you exactly what’s happening.