Wireless connectivity compared to cellphone connectivity

[Ravenrex]

Why is it that when you want to connect to a WAP that is in a building the signal strength may suck based on structural elements of the building (i.e. concrete floors or walls) and cause the signal to be unreachable in certain areas whereas a stupid cellphone can connect to and talk with an antenna that might be up to a mile away or more? It can't be a limitation of power, especially considering a PC and the WAP are both plugged into an AC power source whereas a cellphone is running off a little battery. I know there are FCC regulations regarding how powerful a device can be and the range it can function at, but why is is that wireless connectivity compared to cellphone connectivity seems so lame in terms of the distance it can cover?

 

[Snugglebear]

Two primary reasons. Cellphones operate on a far lower wavelength (several hundred MHz depending on country) and thus get to use lower powered signals which travel better through obstacles. The towers are also both far more powerful and sensitive than what you have in an AP. That combination limits them to lower bandwidth applications, but allows them to be used almost anywhere. It would be more correct to compare cellphones to the big RF wireless networks you see being used to bring broadband to rural areas.