How to improve mobile signal in remote and rural areas

Whether you live, work or travel to a remote or rural location, it is highly likely that you have experienced little to no mobile signal. This can be highly frustrating for users who need voice and data connectivity, be it for work or personal use. To make matters worse, these locations often suffer from poor internet connectivity too, with slow internet speeds and poor bandwidth. Fortunately, there is a solution for improving voice and data connectivity for users based in remote locations – a mobile repeater.

How do mobile repeaters improve reception in rural areas?

Mobile signal repeaters are used for improving mobile signal within buildings with poor coverage. Boost Pro technology is made up of three units: firstly, an External Antenna which is installed in the area with the strongest possible signal from the mobile network operator, usually on the building’s exterior. This is then connected to a Network Unit, located internally, which is the hub of the system. Coverage Units are then connected to the Network Unit and strategically placed throughout the building to dissipate the mobile signal, enabling a greatly improved LTE voice and data coverage.

How to choose the best mobile repeater for your requirements

A quick Google search will show thousands of results for low cost products which claim to boost coverage for all networks. However, many solutions are in fact illegal to use in the UK (just not illegal for suppliers to sell to consumers). Any person found guilty of installing or using such devices without a licence would be liable on conviction to a fine of up to £5000 and/or up to 51 weeks’ imprisonment (Six months in Scotland and Northern Ireland).

You, therefore, must ensure that the mobile repeater solution you choose is Ofcom approved and license-exempt. You can browse some mobile repeater product options here. To help choose the most suitable mobile repeater(s), there are some steps that you can take to ensure the optimal solution:

Measure the size of the indoor space that you are hoping to cover – start with the most important locations (e.g. offices, meeting rooms), where mobile devices are most likely going to be used.
Measure the coverage outside of the building – this will be between 1 to 5 bars on your phone. A weaker signal outside will likely require a higher capacity solution, which carries more expense.

Mobile repeater options for remote locations

Now that you’ve measured the required space and outside signal strength, you should have a much clearer idea of the requirements for your building(s). You can browse some of our options below, or we can carry out a free desktop survey for you. For larger, more complex buildings, a site survey is recommended:

Boost Pro DAS SME – suitable for small and medium premises such as offices, banks, pubs, clubs and large homes.
Boost Pro DAS Industrial – suited to industrial premises such as factories, warehouses, distilleries, construction and transport.
Boost Pro Hybrid DAS (Scalable) – designed for large commercial premises such as shopping centres, hotels and hospitals.

Mobile repeaters for remote locations – a case study

We recently supported Red Rock Power to improve voice and data connectivity for their remote wind farm, which has drastically improved operations as well as health and safety. You can read about this solution here.