what happens when you don't pu your phone on airplane mode

At this very moment, imperceptible signals traverse the atmosphere in your vicinity. Beyond the range of visible light detectable by your eyes, vast radio waves, as broad as houses, carry data between computers, GPS systems, mobile phones, and more. To put it into perspective, the signal emitted by your phone is so potent that, were it visible as radio waves, it could be seen all the way from Jupiter. However, this hypothetical sight is obscured due to interference caused by routers, satellites, and the presence of individuals who have not activated airplane mode during flights. Contrary to popular belief, the airplane mode setting isn't primarily for safeguarding your flight but rather for ensuring the safety of everyone else sharing your flight path.

Cell phones establish connections to networks by transmitting information in the form of electromagnetic waves, specifically radio waves, occupying a specific segment of the electromagnetic spectrum. If we were to envision these waves through special eyes capable of perceiving different colors corresponding to their various wavelengths, the analogy would be fitting. When initiating a call, your phone generates a radio wave signal that it dispatches to the nearest cell tower. If you happen to be far from a service area, your phone will expend more battery power to transmit a higher amplitude signal in an attempt to establish a connection. Once connected, this signal is relayed between cell towers until it reaches your call's intended recipient.

Since your call is not the sole signal traversing this spectrum, cell towers managing multiple calls allocate distinct wavelengths to each involved phone, akin to assigning them specific colors. This color-coding ensures that you do not pick up other people's calls and is even slightly different from the wavelength your phone uses to receive information, preventing interference with incoming signals. Nonetheless, there are limited colors (wavelengths) available for allocation, and with the proliferation of Wi-Fi and the subsequent surge in demand for these wavelengths, avoiding interference has become increasingly challenging. This challenge becomes particularly pronounced when cell towers are inundated with numerous signals simultaneously, such as during regional emergencies when everyone attempts to use their phones.

However, some sources of interference are avoidable, notably when phones seek signals from high altitudes, thousands of meters above the ground. Phones on airplanes are significantly distant from cell towers, prompting them to intensify their signal transmission efforts in search of service. Paradoxically, due to the rapid speed of flight, these phones may find themselves closer to a cell tower than expected, resulting in a powerful signal that overshadows those on the ground. Thus, flying without activating airplane mode essentially transforms you into a radio jammer, broadcasting substantial radio waves that disrupt nearby signals. This interference isn't confined to the skies; nearly all our electronic devices emit inadvertent radio waves, slowing down internet connections and causing call quality issues. Consequently, consumers often pay for increased bandwidth, prompting service providers to claim more of the radio spectrum and launch additional satellites into orbit—a vicious cycle that could ultimately obscure our view of the stars.

Even without these satellites, this system poses a threat to our cosmic exploration. Radio telescopes employed for astronomical purposes rely on a specific range of wavelengths to probe the depths of space. Regrettably, while this range is theoretically protected, enforcement is lacking. For instance, the Very Large Array can detect signals spanning from 1 to 50 GHz within our solar system. Yet, if it attempts to observe signals below 5 GHz, its observations may be drowned out by the multitude of phones on 5G networks. Nowadays, there is no location on Earth entirely devoid of radio waves, as satellites relaying signals globally have covered the planet in this electromagnetic noise. Nonetheless, a few places remain less congested in terms of radio signals, offering radio telescopes the opportunity to peer deep into space. In such regions, we can scrutinize the enigmatic black hole at the heart of the Milky Way and unveil the mysteries of galaxies situated up to 96 billion light-years away. All this can be achieved, provided we are not blinded by signals emanating from first-class cabins.