Measuring Mobile Network Coverage during Extended Road Trips in the Nordics

Modern smartphones, equipped with advanced mobile network technologies, deliver substantial computing capabilities, but they are energy-constrained because of battery capacity limitations. It is now feasible to offload computationally demanding tasks to cloud and fog computing infrastructures to overcome this limitation. A reliable network connection is required for stable communication between mobile devices and cloud or fog systems. This experimental campaign examines the reliability of mobile network connectivity during prolonged road trips, spanning approximately 44,000 km across Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Estonia, and Finland. We collected long-term latency and loss data to evaluate service quality and roaming performance, including cross-border transitions. Our findings reveal significant variability in network reliability, with frequent roaming events in certain countries, and occasional long service outages lasting up to 680 s. These results highlight the challenges of maintaining uninterrupted connectivity for critical services, in dynamic environments. This study provides a foundation for further large-scale investigations into mobile network resilience beyond the Nordic countries.