Cell phone signal boosters in the United States typically include three pieces of hardware working together. You’ll have a booster, an outdoor antenna, and an indoor antenna. But the type of equipment you need will vary according to your site and situation. Getting a custom configuration is key.

How to Boost Your Cell Signal

Even the latest and greatest cellular networks may have trouble reaching every corner of your site. That’s how signal boosters and antennas can help. The effectiveness of each type of indoor antenna will depend on a variety of factors, though, including the frequency being used, the environment in which it's being used, the number of users, and whether there are any obvious or hidden obstructions that might be affecting the signal.

If the strength of the existing cell signal outside of your building is relatively decent, but just a little inconsistent indoors, then you’re one step ahead. The booster's power, and the type and strength of the antennas that you’ll be adding inside and outside of your building probably won’t need to be as robust. That being said, you’ll still want to go with a configuration that can resolve those weak signals both for the short-term, and the long-term. Be sure to cover all of your bases!

Finding the Right Indoor Antenna Solution

There are three main types of indoor antennas, and there are various applications for each one because they all work in different ways.

For example, panel antennas are designed to provide a strong, focused signal in a particular direction. They’re usually the ideal choice for office buildings or campuses with wireless LANs (local area networks) communicating over short to medium distances, because the panel antenna would allow you to create a point-to-point connection or link cellular networks with another location on your site, or even another building.

Then you have whip antennas, also known as monopole antennas. These are typically used for repeating a cellular signal throughout a small space, such as a single room or a couple of small rooms within the same building. Whip antennas are the easiest indoor antenna to install because they just attach to the booster itself. Then they work to transmit and receive signals in all directions.

Another option for boosting your signal would be to install an indoor dome antenna on the ceiling of your building. Dome antennas are commonly used in Wi-Fi networks because they provide a consistently strong, omnidirectional signal that can cover a large indoor area. They’re a great fit for shopping malls, airports, hotels, government buildings, hospitals, and lots of other public spaces, as well as office buildings.

Dome antennas can be extremely effective, but it’s important to realize that the calculations for your indoor antenna installation can get complicated rather quickly. There will always need to be a certain distance of separation between your antennas, even the ones outside. Otherwise, instead of “boosting” your cell signal, you could end up with interference that’s causing your signal to drop even more. Without the right experience, all of this planning can become rather complicated! That’s how our team can help.

Ready to Get Started?

The best way to figure out how to boost your site’s signal strength is to get an expert there in-person to conduct a site assessment. Then you’ll be able to narrow down your signal booster options and start to get all of your questions answered.

Our team at Enhanced Telecommunications and Data can analyze the size and layout of your building, and even the factors outside your building that could be causing signal interference. We’re all about providing our clients with customized solutions. Please send us a message to learn more. Then we can find the best signal booster and indoor antennas for your own site!