Planning a family car trip in the summer? With these tips, the back-seat passengers will get the most out of the internet and smart devices

“When using your phone's own network connection, the battery is consumed by the wide variation in the signal strength during the journey. Depending on the number of devices used, it is advisable to take a power bank with sufficiently high capacity or a powerful car charger with you for the car journey,” says Jarno Haikonen, VP, Broadband and TV Business at DNA.

“Although most modern cars already have USB charger sockets, they provide significantly less power than separate car chargers connected to a 12V outlet, which can, at best, be used to charge a laptop. Power banks can also be helpful at the destination if, for example, the cottage has no electricity or the placement of sockets is not optimal,” Haikonen says.

Haikonen points out that with continuous streaming, the battery life of the latest smartphones and tablets can last for up to 10 hours, depending on the device, with the battery of devices that are 2–5 years old lasting for even 7 hours, if they are well kept, with a lot of model-specific variation, of course. Breaks should be used to charge your batteries, both figuratively and literally. For the latest phones, for example, stopping for a meal for 45 minutes is already enough to recharge your battery so that it lasts for many more hours.

Place the internet sharing device on the front edge of the windscreen

The signal strength of the mobile network has the biggest impact on battery life, which is why a separate battery-operated modem is a good idea for longer car journeys. Such modems also have the additional advantage that the phones in the car only use Wi-Fi, which also lengthens the phone’s battery life. Instead of a battery-operated modem, the network can also be shared from another phone, but this consumes a lot of battery power. 

“You should place the internet-sharing device in an optimal place, such as on the front edge of the windscreen, as this improves the signal. If the network connection is weaker at some points of your journey, and the connection is not sufficient, for example, for all three back-seat passengers, joint viewing using one device is one possible solution,” Haikonen says. 

According to experts, one of the most common problems especially during longer car trips is that the phone drops from 4G to the 3G network. This inevitably leads to frustration when viewing content, but there is a way to alleviate the situation. 

“If the connection drops to 3G, the phone may not return to 4G while data transfer is active, for example, due to music or a movie being streamed. So if your phone gets stuck on 3G, you should stop using the internet for a while, and the phone will go back to the 4G network,” Haikonen says.

In general, network coverage should not be a problem, as DNA's 4G network reaches more than 99% of Finns and the network is constantly being strengthened also in those areas that already have a base station. Alongside the 4G network, DNA’s high-speed 5G network is constantly expanding to new locations and already covers more than 40% of Finns. 

Take heat into account – and don’t make this cooling mistake!

In the summer, you also have to take heat into account. There is no need to worry that an undamaged device would be damaged due to overheating, as devices monitor the temperature independently and generate an alert or switch themselves off if the operating temperature becomes too high. Of course, in terms of the viewing experience, it is important that the device does not have to switch itself off.

“The critical temperature limit for smart devices is about 50 degrees Celsius, after which the functions will begin to suffer and the risk of failure increases. For this reason, I recommend that you always keep the smart device you use for streaming away from direct sunlight, so that high temperature does not cause, for example, thermal expansion of the battery. In addition, keeping devices in the shade is a good idea because direct sunlight is brighter than even the best displays. Looking at the screen is no longer enjoyable if you can barely see the image,” Haikonen says. 

However, Haikonen advises to not try out a tip that is spreading through the grapevine. Freezer packs that you may find in the cool bag must not be used as a cooling base for smart devices – not even when placing a towel in between to prevent moisture.

“Rapid temperature changes can also be harmful to the device and, despite the towel, humidity can cause problems with devices that are not water-resistant. The best way to cool down a device is to stop using it for a while and place the phone in the shade. 10–15 minutes often already helps a lot.”

Further information for the media:

Jarno Haikonen, Vice President, Broadband and TV Business, DNA Plc, tel. +358 44 044 2058, jarno.haikonen@dna.fi

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 (0)44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi

Map of DNA’s mobile network coverage: https://www.dna.fi/kuuluvuus