Why Do You Need a Mobile Signal Booster?

It is impossible to imagine what life could be like without mobile communications. However, there are places far from cell towers where there are problems with access to mobile networks or signal stability. This applies to both countryside and urban areas with tall buildings. For such cases, mobile amplifiers are needed. If you are considering using a 4G signal booster for commercial buildings, this article is for you.

Why Is a Signal Booster Necessary?

If you look at the coverage map of any mobile operator, you will see that there are grey spots even close to large cities and towns. This may be due to terrain features or technical limitations.

In cities, a weak signal occurs in underground garages, workshops, and warehouses built from certain materials. For the same reasons, a weak signal can be observed in commercial buildings. To correct such problems, 3G and 4G signal boosters are used. The range of applications for devices is quite wide, as is the arsenal of equipment, which is constantly expanding.

How a Mobile Signal Booster Works

A booster is a complex electronic device designed to amplify mobile signals and relay them. The strengthening process goes like this:

• an outdoor antenna receives a high-frequency signal from a cell tower;
• the antenna transmits it via cable to the booster;
• booster processor amplifies the signal;
• the amplified signal is transmitted through the wires to the indoor antenna;
• the antenna distributes it to subscriber devices: smartphones, and routers.

The process can also go in the opposite direction: from the smartphone, the signal goes to the indoor antenna, then through an amplifier to an external one, and then to the operator’s tower. Only the booster itself is connected to the mains power.

Types of Mobile Signal Boosters

Each booster is capable of boosting only certain frequencies that comply with mobile communication standards: GSM (voice calls without the Internet), 2G, 3G, and 4G.

• the 2G booster is only suitable for making calls.
• 3G amplifier – for calls and Internet access at low speed.
• 4G booster – to enhance high-speed Internet, calls can only be made via VoLTE in applications.

Depending on the supported frequency ranges, boosters are:

• single-band – support a narrow range, only one communication standard;
• 2- and 3-band – cover a greater number of standards, are more versatile, and can work with different types of gadgets.

If you choose a call booster that operates at 900 MHz frequencies, it will not boost 4G Internet. If you choose an Internet booster, you will not be able to make calls (only via digital channels or via instant messengers). It is important to choose the right repeater for each category of premises, signals, and application.

How to Choose a Mobile Signal Booster

When looking for a booster, you should pay attention to the frequency range and gain, that is, its power.

The frequency range corresponds to generations of the standard: some operate at frequencies from 900 to 1800, which corresponds to 2G, and others in the 3G and 4G range. Those that can operate in several frequency ranges are more expensive.

Gain is measured in decibels, and the higher it is, the better the signal will come from the station. The selection of the coefficient depends on the distance from the base station and the area that needs to be covered with a good signal.

To amplify the Internet signal, devices with a coefficient of 7 to 18 dB are used, and for mobile communication amplifiers a coefficient of 25-50 dB is required in an urban landscape.

For suburban areas, it is worth considering equipment with a coefficient of 60-70 dB, if there is a good signal outside, but the connection in the house is deteriorating.

If the signal on the street is also bad, then you need to look for equipment at 75-85 dB.

If you need to improve mobile Internet, and there is a base station within line of sight, an Internet signal amplifier with a coefficient of 10 dB is suitable.

For the city, it is best to select equipment with frequencies of 2100 and 1800 MHz, which corresponds to 3G and 4G.

If you need to improve the quality of voice calls, look for a cell signal booster with at least 50 dB of gain. It may be labelled 2G if we are talking only about voice communications.

For suburban areas, you need a kit with a directional antenna and a gain of at least 70 dB. Frequency ranges – 800-900 and 1899-2100. It is not easy to understand the labelling; if you have any questions, it is better to contact a specialist. Also, when choosing, you should pay attention to the degree of protection from dust and moisture because some components of the booster will be installed outdoors. The higher the IPXX standard numbers, the more secure the components are.

Read the specification carefully: it states which frequencies the device supports, what (Internet or cellular communications) it is intended to amplify, and how much area of the room it can cover with a high-quality signal.

Here is a list of characteristics by which the device should be evaluated:

• type: signal booster or internet booster;
• type of antenna: directional (located strictly towards the tower) or omnidirectional, capable of evenly distributing the signal around it;
• operating frequency range in the telephone-exchange direction;
• operating frequency range in the station-telephone direction;
• communication standards: only 2G, 3G, and 4G, or all three at once;
• gain factor, which affects both the quality of calls and the speed of mobile Internet;
• consumption current;
• supply voltage;
• compatibility with modems (better when specific models and families are listed).

When choosing, keep in mind that low frequency means the maximum range of signal propagation, but also low speed. Phones will tend to connect to high-speed networks, even if their signal is weak.

Wrapping It Up

In the age of innovation and nanotechnology, there are still places on the map with poor mobile network signal reception. To talk on the phone outside the city or quickly download videos when the signal is poor, mobile signal boosters are used. They can work with different mobile communication standards: 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE, there are universal devices that successfully perform in the maximum frequency range. If you are considering using 3G and 4G mobile signal boosters for commercial buildings, we recommend contacting UCtel, which does an excellent job of boosting the signals of operators such as Vodafone, Tesco, Virgin, etc.