Is There a Cell Phone Problem on the Boeing 787? Here’s Why

If you’ve ever flown on a Boeing 787 Dreamliner, you may have noticed that your cell phone suddenly loses signal when you board the plane. No, it’s not something you do, and it’s not your imagination… it’s real.

Boeing 787 often blocks cell phone signals

In general, mobile data at airports is often not very good. However, there is an additional issue with the Boeing 787, which I know leaves a lot of people confused.

Once you’ve boarded a Boeing 787, you may notice that the signal suddenly gets much worse, or disappears altogether. Let me be clear – this isn’t always the case, and you often get a signal. However, this happens much more often than on other aircraft, and it’s due to something specific about this popular wide-body aircraft (something Boeing engineers have confirmed).

Obviously, this can be frustrating. Many people still try to get things done while on the plane, whether it’s sending some emails from your phone, making a phone call, or connecting to your laptop.

So what causes this problem, and why is it specific to the Boeing 787? I’m no science whiz, but let me explain my understanding of the “reliable” theories I’ve heard.

The first explanation I heard for this is that the Boeing 787 is made of composite materials, so it uses steel wire rods to keep its structure intact. These steel rods apparently interfere with cellular signals on board.

But then I heard other knowledgeable people say that this isn’t quite true, and that the copper mesh embedded in the carbon fiber composite creates Faraday cageThis copper mesh is necessary so that if lightning strikes the plane, it does not puncture the carbon fiber.

Another explanation I’ve seen commonly is that it has to do with the electrically controlled windows, and the fact that they have transparent electrodes coated on them, which transmit light but not radio frequencies, resulting in poor cell reception.

Frankly, I don’t know which of the three explanations is correct, or whether the truth is a combination of multiple factors. But what I do know is that this is very real.

But what explains this contradiction?

Well, while I can’t even explain exactly what’s causing this issue, what’s most confusing to me is what explains this massive discrepancy. Sometimes I fly a Boeing 787 and have no data issues, and sometimes I fly a 787 and have no data issues for an hour on the ground.

Does anyone want to try to explain this discrepancy? Is it because of where you are sitting on the plane? Is it because the signal at weak airports is weaker on the 787?

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On a Boeing 787, it is normal to lose your cell phone signal as soon as you board the plane. This is a common problem with the fuselage, the windows, or a combination of the two. However, I still can’t figure out what is causing the inconsistency.

Have you noticed the mobile data problem on the Boeing 787?