Ever wonder how all those data bits, naughty sexting messages, and angry voice calls get from point A to point B?
Most folks are perfectly content with chalking it up to magical fairies and space dust, but it’s really a bit more complicated than that. The signal hops from your phone to the nearest cell tower, which then forwards everything on to the local “switch”. The switch, essentially a massive building filled ceiling to floor with routing boxes and back-up power generators, is the unsung hero of the cellular network — it’s also the thing that the least people get a chance to see.
The guys over at Geek.com got a chance to tour the Orlando “superswitch” (dubbed “super” because of its ability to withstand insane weather conditions, not because it’s particularly huge), and brought back a bevy of photos and details. If you’ve got any interest on how things work behind the scenes, be sure to check out their debriefing right over here.