Boosting Your Mobile Signal
Many people for various reasons cannot get a cell signal where they need it most – their own home. Currently, there are three common ways of boosting signal at your home, and I will examine these today.
The first technique has been around since the days of two-way radios and has recently been adapted to cellular usage. This is an antenna and repeater system. With this system, the homeowner places an antenna outside the home, ideally with a line of sight view of the nearest cellular tower. Usually this means placing the antenna quite high in the air. Also the best results come from a unidirectional antenna so it must also be turned the right way. Once the antenna is properly set, a wire is run from it to a repeater in the house which is connected to a second small antenna in the house which rebroadcasts the signal. If everything is set up properly and in an ideal situation, this system, which can cost over $500, can be expected to increase the level of coverage inside the house to what is available outside the house.
A newer option is a femtocell, this is basically a small box, which looks like a cable modem, that you connect to your high speed internet connection and then creates a mini cell tower in your house. Currently, Sprint is the only carrier offering this option to consumers, but other carriers have made announcements they will offer them by the end of the year. The Sprint device, called an Airave, costs $100 to buy and $5 to $20 a month for service, so for a two year contract, this device would add $220 to your total cost.
T-Mobile has taken a slightly different approach by offering Wi-Fi connections in some of their phones. They are then able to allow calls to be routed over any Wi-Fi hotspot, including your home wireless router. The best part, T-Mobile does not use plan minutes when the calls are made using Wi-Fi. This plan, which also allows for free calls from T-Mobile hotspots, adds $10 a month or $240 over a two year contract.
Both of the last two options will almost certainly solve your wireless signal problems, but if you don’t have high speed internet, you may be without your mobile phone as well.