5 Main Causes of Poor Cell Phone Signal

Main Causes of Poor Cell Phone Signal

The dreaded one bar of service. Another dropped call. Another loading screen. Doesn't matter if it's 3G or 4G, you're looking at your phone wondering what's the point of paying your monthly cell phone bills when you're not getting anything.

No bars. No service. Another inconvenience to the flow of your daily life. Nearly 75% of cell phone users occasionally drop calls and suffer from slow download speeds, and it's a common problem in South Africa. So what's causing all these problems?

Below is a handy infographic with the top 5 causes of poor cell phone signal and bad reception.

But is there a solution?

While there are some best practices to get better reception, you realistically have two options:

1. Wait for your Network Provider to magically solve all your poor signal problems. 

Or

2. YOU take control of the situation and TAKE BACK the signal you're already paying for.

If you're banking on option 1, we salute you. If you're leaning on option 2, then it's called a cell phone signal booster.

ICASA approved and certified. These are legal devices that boost your weak cell phone signal. Works on all phones and approved by all Networks (Vodacom, Cell C, MTN, Telkom etc.).

Signal boosters usually come in two types: for home and for cars. 

At Bolton Technical, we provide 3G & 4G cell phone signal boosters for all homes, buildings, offices, cars, bakkies, and boats or caravans. If you have any issues with cell signal, we have an answer. Strong signals are out there and you're not getting it!

E-mail us at sales@boltontechnical.co.za to get free consultation and advice, or if should you have any questions or comments.

 

Reasons Why Cell Phone Signals Suddenly Go Bad And What You Can Do About It

You’re sitting on your living room couch watching the Springboks, driving your Bakkie to work or sitting in your high rise office. You’re texting or chatting on your cell phone, when suddenly your call drops off or your conversation disappears.

Poor Signal AGAIN?

You think to yourself, “I’ve got to change Networks.” Not so fast! Chances are your Network is not at fault (well, not always).

See complete cell phone booster kits for your situation:

Home & Small Office, Car, Bakkie, Caravan, Boat or Commercial Building

HAVE A BUSINESS THAT NEEDS COMMERCIAL INSTALLATION OR PLANNING?

Call us at +27 11 749 3085 or email our commercial installation services. Learn more about cell phone boosters with our helpful FAQ. 

Heavy Cellular Traffic

Take a look at all the other parents sitting in their cars in front of the school, or all those other people caught in rush hour traffic on the N1 or N3. Chances are, most if not all are doing the same thing you are: texting or talking on their phones.

All those signals are fighting for space on the nearest cell tower. Once your phone has linked to a tower, you are unlikely to lose your call, but the more phone traffic that fights for a spot, the weaker your signal can become.

If your call is transferred to a tower that’s already full, your call could be dropped.

Building Material

The building material of your house, car, place of work, or run-of-the-mill shopping mall is the number one culprit for weaker signal in South Africa. Metal and modern tinted, low-E glass are the two materials most responsible.

If you routinely notice service fading in and out as you walk around your home, or if your signal improves when you stand near a window or door, it’s likely your signal is being blocked by metal construction material.

Low Battery

If you’ve been putting off charging your phone battery, you may find yourself with a weak signal when you need it most. Your phone needs energy to maintain a connection with a cell tower, and it may struggle when its battery is low.

Bad Weather

Cell phones transmit and receive electromagnetic waves, which can be affected directly by weather phenomenon such as humidity, heavy cloud cover, thunder, lightning, wind, rain, and ice.

Blocking Your Own Antenna

Close your eyes and picture the early days of mobile phones. Sure, they were as big as shoe boxes, but they also had exterior antennas. The phones were heavy and unwieldy, but their signal was pretty consistent. That’s partly because of those exterior antennas. Today’s phones have antennas embedded inside the phone. If you’re not careful how you’re holding the phone, you can block the antenna, and lose your signal. Where exactly your embedded antenna is depends on you phone model, but a little bit of searching, and you should be able to find it. Now that you know where it is, you should have no trouble avoiding this issue.

Mother Nature

Did you just take a hike? Thick foliage can block some cell signals and cause your call to fade or drop altogether. If your home is surrounded by large trees, these can be causing a massive drop in your cellular reception.

Hills (Koppies) and Valleys

Geographic features are a common reason for cell signal obstruction. If you live on one side of a mountain, and the only cell tower in your area is on the other, you’re not likely to get good reception.

Cosmic events

Eruptions on the surface of the sun send plumes of gas into the atmosphere, and have been known to disrupt mobile phone communications. These so-called solar flares produce shock waves that travel through space.

They can disrupt the signals sent to and from a satellite, and produce changes in the Earth’s magnetic field. Obviously, this does not bode well for your cellular signal.

The Solution

A cell phone signal booster increases your weak signal up to 32 times, whether at home, in your car, or in a public place such as an office building. It works by pulling in weak signal, amplifying it multiple times, then rebroadcasts the boosted signal to an area in need.

The results? Improved network service. Faster internet. Better talk & text.

Here are all the features and benefits of using a cell phone booster:

• Works for all cell phones & cellular devices.
• Network-proof: Works for all cellular networks in South Africa
• One-time purchase, no monthly fees.
• No need for wifi or any broadband connection.

Below are the top signal booster models for increasing your phone's signal and service at home, your office, or your vehicle.

Cell Phone Signal Booster For Home

OUR PICK- WilsonPro A500

• Most popular home and small office booster
• Better talk, text & internet guaranteed
• Boost 3G & 4G LTE for buildings up to 500m²
• Works for all phones & carriers. MTN, Cell C, Vodacom and Telkom
• Complete kit: all parts included, easy install. ICASA Approved.

The WilsonPro A500 (50 Ohm) from Wilson Electronics is the most popular home and small office cell phone signal booster we currently offer. It features automatic gain control with a self-optimizing design for easy installation & maintenance.

With up to +70 dB gain of power, it greatly enhances 4G LTE and 3G cell service for all of your wireless cellular devices (smartphones, tablets, notebooks, hotspots, etc.) on any carrier in South Africa. 

The average home size in South Africa is around 250m². Under absolute best conditions, the WilsonPro A500 covers up to 500m² with great outside signal and an open-spaced layout home.

Awesome option for most homes, small offices, farmhouses, and buildings under 500m². If you're getting some spotty reception, we'd recommend to start with this first since this tends to be the Goldilocks or "just right" model.

Only at Bolton Technical

• FREE Delivery to Major South African cities, R500 Minimum Purchase.
• 30 Day money back guarantee. No questions asked.
• 1-Year Warranty.

UPGRADE- WilsonPro A1000

• Most popular large office and building booster
• Better talk, text & internet guaranteed
• Boost 3G & 4G LTE for buildings up to 1,000m²
• Works for all phones & carriers. MTN, Cell C, Vodacom and Telkom
• Complete kit: all parts included, easy install. ICASA Approved.

Our Review:

The Wilson Pro A1000 (50 Ohm) from Wilson Electronics is the most popular commercial cell phone signal booster offered in South Africa. It features automatic gain control with a self-optimizing design for easy installation & maintenance. 

With up to +74 dB gain of power, it greatly enhances 4G LTE and 3G cell service for all your wireless cellular devices (smartphones, tablets, notebooks, hotspots, etc.) on any network in South Africa. 

Best case scenarios can expect coverage up to 1,000m² More likely results can at least expect 550-750m2 even with below average outside signal. 

If you have extremely poor signal (remote area) or need wide coverage for a 1,000m² building or a warehouse, the Wilson Pro A1000 is your new best friend.

Only at Bolton Technical

• FREE Delivery to Major South African cities, R500 Minimum Purchase.
• 30 Day money back guarantee. No questions asked.
• 1-Year Warranty.

BUDGET- WeBoost Drive AM100-Pro 

(COMING SOON)

Our Review:

The WeBoost Drive AM100-Pro is a nice affordable option if you're on a budget and only need spot coverage.

Depending on the outside signal, you may get 1-2 room coverage under best conditions. But you're not here because of best conditions, so it's more realistic to say desktop to small room coverage (about 35 to 50m2).

Most customers have told us they're much closer to the inside antenna than anticipated for better signal. Great option for single office, home office and small areas like apartments. Good starter kit if you have decent outside signal but doesn't cover the whole home and not a strong performer in rural or secluded areas with poor signal.

E-mail us at sales@boltontechnical.co.za to get free consultation and advice, OR if you have any questions or comments.