Obviously, we now depend so much on mobile phones. Twenty years ago, it was difficult to deal with your clients while picking up some necessary items at the grocery store. You couldn’t even connect to your colleagues from the office for an important matter while caring for your sick child or parents. In other words, mobile phones gave a new meaning to the term “multitasking.”
But issues, like weak signals, slow data speeds, or dropped calls can have significant impacts. Luckily, boosting coverage for mobile phones is now possible. However, not all cell signal boosters are created equal. Consider these factors when buying to avoid wasting your hard-earned money:
1. Determine the Signal Strength Outside First
Firstly, you have to determine how strong the outside signal is at home or in your office. Remember that the signal may become weaker when inside a building due to the construction materials used. Fortunately for new buildings, the International Code Council (ICC) has to test and certify buildings for IFC 510. This means that all building owners and contractors need to install in-building radio coverage for emergency responders.
Go outside and see if the signal changes. If it improves, you know where the problem is coming from. Other possible reasons for weak signals outdoors could be the proximity of towers, obstructions like trees, mountains, weather, other buildings, and your carrier.
2. Where Will You Install the Signal Booster?
Determine if your entire office or home has a general weak signal problem. See if only a certain area in your building needs a cellular amplifier since signal boosters are designed for all kinds of space. For example, if your space (basement, single office, apartment, home-based office) is about 150 square feet to 1,500 square feet, 4G is perfect.
3. 5G Compatibility
When you’re looking to boost mobile signal in a commercial space, amplifying 4G LTE is most likely what you have in mind. But why not boost in-building cell signal through a solution that works with 5G instead? As a modern business, you need to think outside the box and not just meet today’s demands.
With a 5G signal booster, you will stop signal issues caused by trees, buildings, or other obstructions. It will boost the outside signal into your building so you can have faster data speeds, better voice quality, and reliable signals.
4. Highest Gain in Decibels
Look at your dual-sim smartphones. You might see that one has three bars while the other has one bar even with the same signal strength. Avoid using this as a basis when choosing a mobile signal booster. Instead, go with decibels (dB) Gain.
The higher the positive number Gain booster, the stronger the signal. So, +70dB is better than +60dB because it adds more Gain to signal strength. Be aware, though, because a negative number such as -80dBm is higher than -90dBm (Decibel Milliwatts) since the first one is closer to zero.
5. Compliant with FCC (Federal Communications Commission)
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) changed its guidelines and regulations regarding the manufacturing and use of mobile phone signal amplifiers. Ensure that you pick a mobile booster that is certified, permitted, and compliant with all the regulations and guidelines by the FCC. You may visit the FCC website for updates on new compliances before buying.
Remember
Whether you need connectivity for your business or home, you want a stable connection and no dropped calls. It doesn’t need to be expensive. Instead, it should meet your needs and be compliant with the new guidelines and regulations of the FCC.
If you believe you still need help after reading the guide above, consider working with professional installers to help you choose the best and give you cell phone booster signal advice. They are your go-to people because they have vast experience, understand cell towers, and know the tools.