The modern world can hardly be imagined without smartphones and mobile communications. We use all of this hundreds of times a day. Every time we call friends, send emails, or watch YouTube videos, we rely on mobile networks. However, we often encounter problems when using the mobile Internet and making calls. As a rule, the reason lies in the distance from cell towers and the solution to this problem is the use of mobile signal boosters. This article is for you if you are interested in the role of cell towers in providing quality mobile communications. The article will also tell you how to choose a mobile signal booster correctly.
Mobile Networks Require Many Base Stations to Operate
You’ve probably seen cell towers many times in fields while driving a car or on the roofs of high-rise buildings. It is these technologies that provide mobile communications. They are located almost all over the world. Each of them can process about four hundred calls simultaneously and pick up signals at a distance of up to 35 kilometers. Essentially, these are repeaters that serve to connect mobile devices to each other and all of them to the network.
The ideal height for placing base stations is from 15 to 60 meters above the ground. They are hooked onto high-rise buildings, power poles, and even trees. This makes it possible to expand the mobile network with their help as far as possible.
Cell tower antennas are divided into sectors directed in different directions. Each of them handles hundreds and thousands of calls per minute. There can be up to six such sectors at a station. For mobile operators, it is better when there are more stations. Increasing the divisions on each of them negatively affects the quality of communication, so this approach is resorted to only as a last resort or in areas that are not densely populated.
The stations look like oblong gray boxes with antennas sticking out of them. They can both receive and broadcast signals – each of them usually belongs to a separate mobile operator. In addition, at base stations, you can see radio relay dishes, through which they connect to their owners. The antennas on them operate in different frequency ranges, which makes it possible to cover both a large non-residential space and a populated city.
It is logical that someone should regulate the operation of such a large and complex system. That’s right – 24 hours a day and 7 days a week, this is monitored by the network control center. The main task of its employees is to diagnose and eliminate problems. To do this, each base station has dozens of sensors that send data to specialists. If a breakdown occurs in one of the sectors, the operator sees it on his monitor as a flashing light and sends a command to repair it.
Today, specialists collect a huge amount of data on the operation of base stations. Their analysis makes it possible to find problems before they affect the quality of communication.
Why Are There Connection Problems?
Firstly, interference can be caused by a faulty device, an old SIM card, or even the wrong case material. If the case on your smartphone is made using a copious amount of metal, then there will probably be problems with calls.
Secondly, connection breaks can occur in places where there are holes in the coating. If the nearest base stations are too far away from you, or you are too high or low in relation to them. Usually, they are built in such a way that their fields coincide as closely as possible. However, this is not always possible due to the geography of the area and may not be practical due to the overall low population of a particular region.
You encounter this while traveling by car or train. The farther you are from the city, the worse the connection is usually. On some sections of the road, it may n ot exist at all, and there is nothing strange or supernatural about this.
Thirdly, breaks are often associated with a heavy load on the network. It can occur when the stations closest to you are already handling too many calls. The most typical moment for this is a major holiday. How many times has this happened to everyone: you call an old friend to wish him a Happy New Year, and in response, you hear only silence. Until the station is unloaded, you won’t be able to make a call.
Fourthly, each operator determines for itself a priority operating mode – the type of connection that is offered to customers first. For many companies this is 3G. If he cannot provide at least this, the connection may fail.
What Is a Mobile Signal Booster And How to Choose It?
You can solve problems with mobile communications using a booster. A mobile signal booster is a rather complex device that is used to boost incoming and outgoing signals from mobile operator base stations. A characteristic feature of this equipment is that it makes it possible only locally to solve problems with poor quality of the mobile network.
The kit includes special antennas that are connected to the booster via a special cable.
Boosters work according to the following principles:
- The external antenna, which is included in the kit, is used to directly pick up the signal coming from the base station;
- The booster processes and enhances the received data using hardware resources;
- The boosted signal is transmitted to an internal antenna, which is often built into the booster itself;
- The signal is transmitted from the internal antenna to users’ mobile devices.
When choosing a booster, it is worth considering several factors, in particular the communication generation and bands on which the booster operates, the number of bands, the method of use, the area of the room, and others. It is noteworthy that any booster must be installed correctly.
Final Thoughts
The number and type of towers installed in a certain sector directly affect the quality of mobile communications. If the tower is far away, or the signal is blocked by natural and infrastructural barriers, then you can improve the quality of voice calls and mobile Internet using a mobile communication booster. We recommend contacting UCtel, which will provide high-quality support in choosing a mobile signal booster for your needs, regardless of the services of which British mobile operator you use.
