Bad cellphone reception and weak signal strength might be caused by the sun, according to new research. Solar flares emanating from the sun could be to blame for telecommunications customers’ slow internet, signal reception issues and GPS problems, thus taking some the pressure off the network providers, for now.

Vodacom spokesperson, Richard Boorman, said yesterday:

Sun spots give off solar radiation, and one of the most sensitive things is satellites, and GPS relies on satellites.

According to space weather officer, Kobus Olckers, who works with the Regional Space Warning Centre for Africa, an X-class flare; the most destructive for technology and telecommunications; was detected last Tuesday, and we should expect more this week.

Olckers explained:

We used to think the sun was something static that just gave off rays, [but it’s] one big nuclear explosion that happens all the time. [It] can do very bad things to satellites. At that speed, [they] can go through plastic [and] they come at you in millions [at a time].

A report in this morning’s Business Day explains what exactly happens:

The sun’s gravity is so strong that hydrogen atoms push against each other and form helium, releasing large quantities of energy. This gas expands and creates solar wind, firing off atoms, electrons, photons and radiation of every frequency. It also shoots off lumps of plasma, which are like very big magnets. Last week’s flare affected long-distance radio communications and navigation systems, and other satellite-based systems, such as TV broadcasting.

Olckers went on to say that they have the technology that allows them to predict a really bad event seven to 14 days in advance, even up to a month in advance sometimes, and can then warn the relevant authorities.

The warning centre from which Olckers and his team operate was setup in Hermanus last year and monitors space weather activity and provides real-time data to network providers.

[Source: BusinessDay]