Cordless phone frequencies play a large part in reception, and different frequencies are prone to interference at different rates. Get the right phone, and that awful experience of getting cut off in the middle of a call will be a meory.
Different Frequencies, Different Interference
When 2.4GHz cordless phones came to the marketplace, people were happy that a new cordless phone on a higher frequency was coming to town. In theory, the 2.4GHz frequency should enable better reception, due to the wavelength and transmission patterns. Practically speaking, the 2.4GHz frequency range is now a highly cluttered transmission range. Microwaves, baby monitors and even televisions cause interference in the 2.4GHz range, making the frequency less than ideal for phone conversations.
5.8GHz phones are also prone to interference, although fewer electronics and appliances operate in the 5.8GHz range. Still, if you live in a densely populated area or have plenty of technological toys in your home, even the best 5.8GHz phones may suffer interference.
The newest frequency craze is 1.9GHz phones, which operate on an even more sparsely populated frequency. Because the 1.9GHz frequency is reserved for phones operating on the DECT standard, it should suffer less interference than the other frequencies, which share the airwaves with other electronic devices.
Frequency Hopping
Because so many frequencies are used by multiple devices, it can be virtually impossible to find a free frequency that isn't prone to interference. Fortunately, newer cordless phones include a host of acronyms that can help reduce interference by using frequency-hopping technology. DSS, DSSS and FHSS are all acronyms for different types of frequency-hopping technology.
Basically, this means that a cordless phone with this technology is constantly changing frequencies, only staying on a specific frequency for a very short period before hopping onto another frequency. Even if it encounters a frequency with interference, it moves on so quickly that the interference is negligible and you have the effect of a virtually interference-free phone call. Unfortunately, these technologies typically aren't present on older cordless phones, so if you have interference problems, it may be time to upgrade.
Steps to Minimize Interference
Interference is all about the frequency. Even if you don't have a new phone with fancy frequency-hopping technology, you can take basic steps to minimize interference by isolating your cordless phone. Don't place your cordless phone near a wireless router, television or microwave, as these devices all operate on similar frequencies and typically cause interference. Also, if you're experiencing interference, try changing the channel on your cordless phone. While this might not make a big difference, this slight change may be enough to save your sanity on that next important phone call.
Do yourself a favor, though, and upgrade your cordless phone if signal quality is a real issue.
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