system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How do cellphones communicate over such long distances with such a small antenna while my router barely can cover my house?

Also why are phone antennas so big? Wouldnt a small antenna like one from a smartphone be enough?



EDIT: Holy... i just woke up. Well that blew up. Thank you all for your answers.
gpt
Two reasons:

   * WiFi typically operates at 100 mW, cell phones are allowed to transmit up to 2000 mW.
   * WiFi operates at a higher frequency, which is blocked more easily by walls, etc.

These are intentional. Wifi links have been established by hobbyists using souped- up routers over long distances (miles), but that defeats the purpose of home use, because if all routers reached that far, they'd all interfere with each other, making the connection slow.