Count_Lothian Count_Lothian:
If you phone someone and they are out of service areas the phone company tells you.
if it rings the call went through but was not answered.
If it rings and is not answered it can mean:
1. The call was not answered but the phone is still working.
2. The phone is out of range, turned off, or destroyed and the cell phone provider just lets calls to such phones ring.
3. The voicemail or other call forwarding features have not been enabled.
On the latter point, when I go to Hawaii next week I'll enable call forwarding on my work phone and anyone calling it will be rerouted to yet another phone. My phone will be in my safe at home with the battery removed from it. Yet if you call the line you'll still get a ring until the call is forwarded.
The ring doesn't mean anything at all.