Summer vs. Winter and the Hidden World of Line of Sight

Wireless internet isn’t magic, it’s radio. And, like any radio signal, it’s sensitive to its surroundings, which change dramatically all year round.

At Netspectrum we engineer every link for year‑round reliability, but when Mother Nature reshuffles the landscape, even the best‑planned connection can feel the impact. If your speeds dip as the snow melts, or when the leaves soak up their first spring rain, chances are your Line of Sight (LoS), the clear, unobstructed path between your dish and our tower, has taken a hit. When that beam gets blocked or weakened, your bandwidth takes the hit too.

Myth Busted: “Once It’s Installed, It Should Just Work”

Most customers expect their connection to behave like a buried fibre line, unchanged by the seasons. Ninety percent of the time that’s true, yet wireless relies on a clear, or mostly clear, path between your dish and our tower. When that path changes, so does your experience.

LoS vs. NLoS, A 30‑Second Primer

Wireless links come in two flavours. Line of Sight (LoS) is a straight beam between your dish and our tower, picture a flashlight down a hallway. Non‑Line of Sight (NLoS) forces that beam to bend, bounce, or punch through obstacles, like shining the same light through a soggy hedge on a foggy night. When we install your service we aim for the clearest LoS possible, but landscapes grow and weather happens.

Real‑World Example: Towers Behaving Badly

A few winters back, two of our towers were so “loud” they interfered with each other. We trimmed their transmit power and everyone sailed through snow season. Come spring, those same towers had to punch through fresh, rain‑soaked leaves. Speeds dropped and the helpdesk lit up.

Why? Wet leaves are a soggy blanket for radio waves. They absorb and scatter signal, especially on humid, rainy days. That’s why your connection can be flawless in February yet sluggish in May.

Trees, Rain, and Radios: Finding the Balance

We love trees (so do our customers), so cutting one down is always the last resort. A strategic trim around the dish can help, but sometimes the culprit isn’t vegetation at all. Our rule of thumb: Talk to us first, chainsaw later.

How You Can Help Your Connection

1. Inspect, don’t expect. If speeds dip when seasons change, take note and let us know.
2. Account check‑up. Call us for a full account review, we’ll check dish alignment, upgrades available, or other account settings.
3. Mind the limbs. Trim branches that brush or block the dish (no need to fell a maple!).

We’re Here When Nature Isn’t Kind

Internet is emotional, especially when it lags. If your connection starts acting up, reach out. Our team can help. Don’t wait until a slow connection drives you nuts, call us. We’ve got your back, whatever the season.