Mobile phones have certainly become crucial to the successful operation of many businesses. And when they don’t work well--or not at all–the operation of the business can suffer.
Aside from being just plain annoying, poor cellular reception affects how well a business operates on any given day. Not being able to effectively communicate with your employees and clients can decrease productivity, costing you time and money. And, unfortunately, cellular service providers have yet to achieve a perfectly seamless wireless network to solve the seemingly constant problems of dropped calls and poor reception.
A variety of mobile phone antennas, including external antennas, cell phone amplifiers/repeaters and signal boosters, can address the problems of dropped calls, reduced service ranges, fading signals, poor voice quality and poor coverage areas.
You might want to ask yourself the following questions when choosing the cell phone antennas that will meet the needs of your business:
1. What is my budget for a wireless phone antenna?
2. Is cellular reception a concern in the office, at home or on the road?
3. Has my staff experienced poor, localized coverage (due to obstacles and interference) or problems with geographical distance (distance between the tower and the phone)?
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Upgrade your antenna
A cell phone external antenna is, by far, the most inexpensive solution to your business's poor cellular reception problems. An external cell phone antenna attaches to the RF port in your cellular phone, via a coax cable. The antennas are portable and can be used whenever and wherever you experience weak or nonexistent signals. Adaptors can be used on cell phones that do not have an RF port. Cell phone external antennas are usually magnetic or glass-mounted.
I recommend: Cellular Solutions carries a wide selection of external antennas, including a
mini magnet mount external antenna that offers 10 times more signal than a cell phone without an external antenna. This cell phone external antenna works on all cell phones with a compatible adaptor and can be easily swapped between vehicles. You may want to consider a
trucker antenna for use with a truck, RV or boat. You can place this antenna, which is ideal for many applications, on any surface, thanks to its built-in ground plane.
Extend your cellular service in poor coverage areas
A cell phone amplifier amplifies both transmit and receive signals and is ideal in poor coverage areas. You can buy cell phone amplifiers, which can increase your coverage area up to 50 miles or more, as wireless (repeaters) or direct connection units (wired). A wireless cell phone amplifier/repeater amplifies and rebroadcasts the signal back to your cell phone, all without a physical connection to your phone. A direct connect amplifier must be connected to the antenna port on your phone. Amplifiers are designed to operate on certain frequency ranges (800MHz cellular, iDEN and 1900MHz PCS), so you'll need to first find your phone's frequency before purchasing a cell phone amplifier.
I recommend: Wireless Advisor.com can help you by determining which frequencies are licensed by your carrier in your specific area.
wpsantennas.com offers a nice selection of wireless and direct connection amplifiers.
Boost your cellular phone signal
A cell phone antenna booster is a portable, extremely effective signal amplifier for those plagued with weak signals on their mobile networks. A cell phone antenna booster can used anywhere, and is typically sold in kits designed specifically for the home/office or vehicle.
I recommend: Check out
JDTeck.com’s selection of cell phone antenna amplifiers/boosters. They also offer assistance by helping you obtain the connectors and patch leads needed to complete the installation for your specific cellular phone.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- Dual-band cell phone antennas (for analog, digital cellular and digital PCS) make the most sense for improved cellular reception when traveling in and out of coverage areas. Single-band antennas are ideal for rural areas, or if you are on the edge of your coverage area.
- Consider Yagi panel antennas if you are located in a remote area.
The official source of Cell Phone Antennas is the Cell Phone Antennas page at Business.com
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