Generally, you use the radio network from mobile phone to cell tower, and then fibre optic to the switches. Sometimes they use microwave line of sight for surface-to-surface connections where fibre doesn’t make sense, or is unviable (terrain, distance, cost, difficulty of laying fibre, etc.). It’s possible that there could be a satellite connection in the process, but unlikely unless you’re on an airplane, a ship, etc.
The GPS on the mobile phone definitely does use satellite (receive only though, no transmit).
I’m not an expert, but I believe the phone will usually start by geolocating your IP address, getting satellite positions based on your rough position and the exact time, and only uses satellites for precision.
Your phone will take much, much longer to pinpoint your location if your phone has been in airplane mode.
There’s a few different techniques. The crudest is to check what cell tower you’re connected to and use its location as your location. Good enough to find what sandwich shops are in the area, but not precise enough for driving instructions. That takes GPS satellites.
Flat earthers sometimes confuse these modes to say your phone only connects to local towers. Most people don’t know the details and don’t know how to refute it.
Generally, you use the radio network from mobile phone to cell tower, and then fibre optic to the switches. Sometimes they use microwave line of sight for surface-to-surface connections where fibre doesn’t make sense, or is unviable (terrain, distance, cost, difficulty of laying fibre, etc.). It’s possible that there could be a satellite connection in the process, but unlikely unless you’re on an airplane, a ship, etc.
The GPS on the mobile phone definitely does use satellite (receive only though, no transmit).
I’m not an expert, but I believe the phone will usually start by geolocating your IP address, getting satellite positions based on your rough position and the exact time, and only uses satellites for precision.
Your phone will take much, much longer to pinpoint your location if your phone has been in airplane mode.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Assisted_GNSS
There’s a few different techniques. The crudest is to check what cell tower you’re connected to and use its location as your location. Good enough to find what sandwich shops are in the area, but not precise enough for driving instructions. That takes GPS satellites.
Flat earthers sometimes confuse these modes to say your phone only connects to local towers. Most people don’t know the details and don’t know how to refute it.