Cellular phones may have been around for more than three decades now, but there are still many unanswered questions about them, especially when it comes to networks and signals. Why is my connection slow despite having full bars? Why do I have no signal in the mountain? How is my phone not charging faster in airplane mode? 

Sometimes it's a real mystery, other times we're just smarter than we think we are, so here we debunk some common network myths once and for all so that you don't make the same mistakes again. 

More bars = faster speeds 

Are you one of those who thinks the more signal bars on your phone, the faster the internet speed you’ll experience? The truth is that signal strength and internet speed are related, but not synonymous. You can still have a strong signal but experience slow speeds due to other factors like congestion, limited bandwidth, proximity to cell towers, or interference. Remember also that newer generations of devices offer fast data-transfer speeds, but if you’re connected to an older-generation network, you may experience slow speeds. 

Airplane mode speeds up charging 

You may have heard that if you put your phone in airplane mode, it’ll charge faster. This is not true. Airplane mode can disable wireless communication functions, but it doesn’t impact the charging speed. The charging speed on a smartphone is determined by the charger’s output and the device’s maximum charging speed. Besides, screens are more resource-intensive and could be the real culprit if your phone is running tasks in the background. For optimal charging speed, use your phone’s original charger or a high-quality replacement, and reduce background tasks. 

Turning off 4G/5G saves your battery life 

You probably hear this all the time: if you switch off mobile data, you save on battery life. Again, not true. The effect is negligible based on your day-to-day usage, and it depends on your device’s capabilities and an efficient chipset. Most smartphones today have advanced power management built in to keep battery life optimised, which intelligently adjusts based on the apps you use. When a phone is on idle mode, the impact on battery life is minimal. 

Mobile towers cause health issues 

This misconception has been around for years. Many people think exposure to radiofrequency (RF) radiation emitted by mobile towers and wireless communication devices is dangerous. But accredited studies and health organisations have consistently found no conclusive evidence to support this theory. There’s a consensus that properly regulated exposure to RF radiation from mobile towers is not associated with significant health risks. 

Mobile data is always more expensive 

Arguably the most common myth is that mobile data is a lot more expensive than using Wi-Fi. This depends entirely on your mobile plan though. You'll be hard-pressed to find a decent wired connection for less than R400. But Vodacom offers cost-effective, fixed data plans (up to 250GB) on super-fast LTE for as little as R249. These plans give you the freedom to use them at home or on the go and are simple to set up and use. 

Vodacom Is Mzansi's Most Trusted Network

If you're looking for a network that won't let you down Vodacom is your best option. In 2023 Vodacom were voted South Africa's most reliable network after the biannual network report run by independent benchmarking organisation umlaut, who form part of global network assessment organisation Accenture. The report took into account reliability, data services and crowdsourced quality, where we scored higher than all of our competitors.