SIGNAL BOOSTERS
An Overview
Cell phone boosters or Bi-Directional Amplifiers are a technology that strengthens radio signals used by cell phones.They do this by utilizing an antenna that receives the initial signal and then rebroadcasts that signal in a more focused manner. After the signal is received by the outdoor or the “donor” antenna it is brought indoors via a low loss coaxial cable.The signal booster than takes the signal and strengthens it and sends the strengthened signal to an indoor antenna where it is broadcasted to devices in the area.
This can be done in the opposite direction as well. Meaning that when you are near a booster with your mobile device it sends its signal to the nearby antenna which then amplifies it and sends it out via the outdoor antenna. Also as an added benefit, these boosters increase your phone or other devices power and they also allow them to run more efficiently with some devices gaining up to 65% more battery life.
Reasons for Poor Signal
Rural areas typically have cell towers farther apart, meaning worse signal for you. As the signal has to travel farther and farther it loses strength until eventually, the internal radio in your phone will be unable to communicate with the cell tower.
Many buildings, especially older ones, use material that interferes with the waves used by your phone or are simply designed in ways that did not account for a cell signal.
The geography around you also plays a role in how well you receive signal; trees, hills, mountains, and valleys all interfere with radio waves.
And finally sometimes when too many signals are running through the same area they can crash into each other and cause destructive interference creating dead zones. This is a big problem in crowded urban centers and is one of the main causes of poor reception in areas that you would think would have great coverage.
Types of Cell Phone Boosters
Cell phone boosters are either Wide-Band or Carrier Specific.
WIDE-BAND
Wide-Band has some limitations as they are regulated to operate on specific frequencies and bands. This limiting requires an already high performing outdoor signal and a very specific installation. These boosters operate as Verizon signal boosters, AT&T signal boosters, T-Mobile signal boosters, and Sprint signal boosters all at the same time. This boosts the signal for all of those carriers on all of their 2G, 3G, and 4G LTE networks and it will even work with the new 5G networks when those are released.
CARRIER SPECIFIC
Carrier Specific boosters do not face these limitations as they very rarely interfere with other signals. However, as their name implies they only operate with specific carriers. This has many limitations. First and foremost switching carriers will interfere with the signal boost provided by a carrier specific booster. Also, any guests or visitors you have over that do not share your network and carrier will not receive the signal boost.
While it is often tempting to use the carrier specific boosters because they are often more affordable many signal booster users prefer to use wide-band cell phone signal boosters.
Contact us
If you are interested in learning more about cell phone signal boosters and how they can solve your poor cell reception problems contact us today. We can help you not only find the right cell phone signal booster for your needs but also to find a professional installation option near you. Our network of professional installers spans the continental United States and Canada and provides the highest quality installation for all signal boosters.