Let’s admit it. We depend so much on mobile phones in our daily lives. Twenty years ago, it wasn’t easy to deal with your clients while picking up some essential items at the grocery store. You could never even communicate with your colleagues from the office about an important matter while caring for your sick family members. In other words, cell phones gave a new meaning to the term “multitasking.”

However, sometimes issues occur, such as weak signals, slow data speeds, or dropped calls that can greatly impact our activities. Luckily, it’s now possible to improve mobile coverage through cell signal boosters. But not all cell signal boosters are created equal. So, consider these factors when buying to avoid wasting your hard-earned money:

1. Know the Signal Strength Outdoors First

In the first place, you have to determine how strong the outside signal is at home or in your office. Keep in mind that the signal may become weaker when you’re inside a building due to the construction materials utilized. Fortunately for new buildings, the International Fire Code has IFC 510 in-building coverage requirements, saying all owners and contractors should have in-building radio coverage for emergency responders.

Go outside and see if the signal improves. If it becomes stronger, you know where the problem is coming from. For weak signals outdoors, possible reasons could be the proximity of towers, other obstructions like trees, mountains, weather, other buildings, and your carrier.

2. Where Will You Install the Signal Booster?

Does your entire office or home have a general weak signal problem? See if only a specific area in your building needs a cellular amplifier since signal boosters are designed for all kinds of space. For instance, if your area (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 cell signal in a large commercial space, amplifying 4G LTE is probably the top choice. Consider boosting cellular coverage with a 5G solution instead. For modern businesses, you should not settle with meeting demands only today. To keep floating in the competitive, ever-changing, and high-tech market, you need to think of the future.

With a 5G signal booster, signal issues caused by trees, buildings, or other obstructions will end. It will boost the signal outside of 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 observe that one has three bars while the other has one bar even with the same signal strength. Stop 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) has changed its guidelines and regulations regarding the manufacturing and use of mobile phone signal amplifiers. Make sure that you select a mobile booster that is certified, permitted, and compliant with all the regulations and guidelines by the FCC. Visit the FCC website for updates on new compliances before buying.

Keep in Mind

Whether your connectivity is for your business or home, you want a good connection and no dropped calls. If you believe you still need help after reading the guide above, consider working with professional installers with a reliable and effective solution, such as coverage solutions by Diversified Electronics. They are your go-to people since they have vast experience, understand cell towers, and know the tools.