What causes bad mobile connectivity – and how to fix it while live streaming

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Here are a few situations where you can experience bad connectivity – and how to solve the issue.

Bad mobile connectivity the moment you bring your live stream into a building

Wait a little bit for your camera to pick up the mobile signal inside the building. If it doesn’t get better after 10-20 seconds, you cannot stay in that building and you need to move outside.

Bad mobile stream connectivity during warm weather

Your phone / camera is probably overheating. Check for warnings on your screen or touch your device to feel if it’s hot. Keep your gear out of the sun as much as you can and keep your screen switched off. To cool down your phone quick, go into a building which has airconditioning like a hotel lobby. While you’re there, get yourself a drink to cool yourself down as well!

Network Congestion (Too many people on the same tower)

Your mobile connection might struggle in crowded areas (e.g., concerts, festivals, sporting events, city centers) because too many people are connected to the same cell tower. This causes slow speeds, high packet loss, and ultimately leads to bad mobile connectivity.

If possible, move a few streets away from the crowd to get a better signal. Yes, this is lousy advice if the subject of your stream is the crowd you are in, but we can’t unfortunately magically add more cell towers around you – and your stream video feed quality is heavily depending on how fast and how well your camera is able to send the video feed.

If you’re using just one SIM, try switching to a different carrier manually (some carriers own different frequency bands that perform better in congestion). If you use a setup with multiple sim cards, try find the provider with the least congestion.

Switching between cell towers (Network Handover Failures)

Your stream drops when moving between areas because your connection is handing off between cell towers. Some networks struggle with seamless handover, especially when moving fast (e.g., in a car, train, or biking).

  • If you’re using multiple connections, disable the weakest network so your setup doesn’t keep switching between good and bad signals.
  • If using a single SIM, try setting your network to 4G-only mode (or LTE-only) instead of allowing automatic 5G/4G/3G switching. Some carriers drop to unstable 3G when handing off towers.
  • Reduce movement when the connection is unstable to allow your device time to settle on a new tower.

Interference from Large Buildings, Trees, or Tunnels

Streaming in tunnels, under bridges, or near skyscrapers can cause severe signal reflection, interference, or even full dead zones where no signal exists.

  • If you’re moving through a tunnel or an area with a lot of interference, lower your bitrate in advance so your encoder can handle sudden drops more smoothly.
  • If you know you’re about to enter a dead zone, switch to your BRB scene manually (by typing !brb in chat). This way your viewers just see your BRB scene instead of a constantly failing stream struggling to get back online due to lack of mobile connectivity.
  • Stay near open areas with a clear view of the sky and cell towers whenever possible. Avoid walking under dense overhanging trees as much as possible.
  • Keep an eye on your surroundings in general: open spaces are always preferred over closed-in areas.

Test Your Mobile Connection Before Streaming

If you’re unsure if your location has a strong enough connection for streaming, or your stream keeps dropping but you don’t know if it’s due to low bandwidth, please before starting your stream, run a quick speed test using:

  • Speedtest by Ookla (More detailed, shows ping and jitter)
  • Fast.com (Quick and easy, focuses on download/upload speeds). Click “Show more info” to show your upload speeds! Your download speeds don’t matter much as you need to send video, not receive it.

Minimum Speeds for Stable Streaming

For IRL streaming, your upload speed is the most important factor. Here’s what you need based on your resolution and bitrate:

  • 720p at 30 FPS → At least 2 Mbps upload (Ideal bitrate: 2,000–3,000 kbps)
  • 720p at 60 FPS → At least 3 Mbps upload (Ideal bitrate: 3,000–4,000 kbps)
  • 1080p at 30 FPS → At least 4 Mbps upload (Ideal bitrate: 4,000–5,000 kbps)
  • 1080p at 60 FPS → At least 5 Mbps upload (Ideal bitrate: 5,000–8,000 kbps)

Important Notes:

  • Always test upload speed, not just download speed.
  • Test multiple times in different locations before going live.
  • If your upload speed is fluctuating, lower your stream bitrate slightly to avoid buffering.
  • If using multiple mobile connections (e.g., BELABOX, LiveU), test each connection separately before bonding them together.

If your upload speed is below 2 Mbps, expect unstable performance, buffering, or frequent disconnections. In this case, consider lowering your resolution or moving to a better location.