Cliff Effect
In telecommunications, the (digital) cliff effect or brickwall effect describes the sudden loss of digital signal reception. Unlike analog signals, which gradually fade when signal strength decreases or electromagnetic interference or multipath increases, a digital signal provides data which is either perfect or non-existent at the receiving end. It is named for a graph (shown at right) of reception quality versus signal quality, where the digital signal "falls off a cliff" instead of having a gradual rolloff.
The phenomenon is primarily seen in broadcasting, where signal strength is liable to vary, rather than in recorded media, which generally have a good signal. However, it may be seen in significantly damaged media, which is at the edge of readability.
The term is also used in economics for an unrelated phenomenon.
Read more about Cliff Effect: Mobile Phones
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—Robert Frost (1874–1963)
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