Why does broadband never work when it’s raining?

Question

Why does broadband never work when it’s raining?

Elizabeth (James' daughter) - aged 9, Chiswick

Answer

**Definitive**

Name: Lewis, Watford

Qualification: Works with aerials and satellites. (Was also sitting next to a satellite - in the rain!)

Answer: This is called ‘rain fade’. Your broadband router is connected to a substation by a series of cables. The substation sends a signal to a satellite in space. ‘Rain fade’ happens when rain gets in the way of this signal. This has a ripple effect, so the further your router is from the sub-station, the worse the effects of ‘rain fade’ are likely to be.