Verizon uses an 700MHZ and 1700/2100MHZ signal on their 4G network which will give you incredible penetration. People brag about how you can be in a basement of an office building (lots more concrete and steel than a refrigerator) and still get great reception.
If they were using a carrier in Hong Kong, most of the carriers use a higher spectrum, usually around the 1800-2100MHZ range. While it doesn't give you great penetration in buildings like the lower frequencies Verizon use, I'm guessing the overall density of the towers is significant which would help this issue.
If he said they want into the basement of a building THEN put the phones in the refrigerator, it would be a little more believable. Just putting it in the refrigerator probably won't do a lot to block the signal.
Its not the mass of concrete and steel, but the faraday cage effect of a continuous closed loop of conductive material.
Though aas has been pointed out, a fridge probably isn't electrically continuous at the door gasket. Depending on the construction, you could replace the rubber gasket witha rubber core metal mesh gasket.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verizon_Wireless#Radio_Frequenc...
If they were using a carrier in Hong Kong, most of the carriers use a higher spectrum, usually around the 1800-2100MHZ range. While it doesn't give you great penetration in buildings like the lower frequencies Verizon use, I'm guessing the overall density of the towers is significant which would help this issue.
If he said they want into the basement of a building THEN put the phones in the refrigerator, it would be a little more believable. Just putting it in the refrigerator probably won't do a lot to block the signal.