Network

This section provides information about the cellular network you are currently connected to.

Explanation of information

Operator name

This is the name of the carrier (the network operator) whose network you are currently connected to.

Signal strength

A measurement of the current signal strength (and possibly also the signal quality) of the current cellular connection.

This will reflect the distance from your device to the cellular tower, the transmit power of your device and the cellular tower, and any objects such as walls or buildings that may be in between.

Signal strength is often quoted in a scale based on decibels (dB). This scale allows for relative comparison of signal strength. The value is often a negative value, where 0 (zero) would be a maximum theoretical throughput while further negative values will indicate lower signal strengths.

Note that the scale used can vary according to the type of network in use, making it impossible to compare signal strength between different connection types such as 3G, LTE, and others.

In the case of LTE this section may list a separate power (RSRP) and quality (RSRQ) measurement. The quality measurement will be more susceptible to things like interference and together they represent a more realistic overview of the quality of your connection.

Mobile network type

This will show your current connection type, for example LTE.

Service state

This simply shows whether you are currently connected or not.

Roaming

Displays whether you are connected to network in roaming mode.

Roaming is using your phone via a cellular connection through a carrier other than your own, due to a roaming agreement between the two providers. Roaming agreements between carriers allow customers to travel outside the coverage area of their own carrier and still receive a mobile connection.