Boosting Three 4G signal in N.Ireland

Carnmore

I'm looking to boost Three Ireland 4G signal across the border.

Two bars of 4G can be achieved outside the house but not inside.

I know boosters/repeaters were illegal in ROI but were they due to be legalised this year?

Where can they bought from and how do I know which one to buy?

Are the rules different in the UK?

Thanks in advance

ED E

From OFCOM:

2 April 2018
Today, regulations come into force that allow people to use certain types of mobile phone repeater without the need for a licence.

Mobile phone repeaters amplify signals between a mobile phone and a network operator’s base station and can enhance coverage in situations where the signal is weak.

Ofcom has legalised use of two types of mobile phone repeater.

Static indoor repeaters
The first are known as static mobile phone repeaters. These are for indoor use, and are designed to improve coverage inside peoples’ homes, offices and other buildings. They must not be used in other situations. For example, while in motion, such as in a vehicle.

The ‘downlink’ from these repeaters (the part that connects the repeater to the mobile phone) must not be used outside or in semi-open locations. It must be used inside a building which has a ceiling or a roof.

The ‘uplink’ (the part that connects the repeaters to the mobile phone network) can be used either indoors or outdoors.

This type of repeater may not be helpful in all situations. However, they can help to boost indoor signals in situations where there is reasonable mobile coverage just outside the building, but indoor coverage is not good enough.

We have restricted these types of repeaters so they amplify the signal from only one mobile phone network at a time, although they may be re-configured to a different network.

Low gain in-vehicle repeaters
...

How can I get a repeater?
We expect mobile phone repeaters that meet our requirements to become available from some retailers almost immediately, and become more widely available over the coming months. Prices are likely to start at around £400 for the simpler models.

What should I look out for?
Watch out for repeaters that claim to be wideband, or those which amplify signals from more than one operator at a time. Repeaters that operate in this way do not comply with our requirements and using them continues to be unlawful.

You should only buy repeaters from reputable retailers and look for a ‘CE’ mark on the equipment.

Indoor repeaters that claim to be 4G and/or LTE only (or 800 MHz only) are also unlikely to meet our requirements. Legal indoor repeaters must boost a 2G or 3G signal at all times.

The Cush

Carnmore wrote: »

I know boosters/repeaters were illegal in ROI but were they due to be legalised this year?

They were legalised last July when the regulation was signed and published - https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=107652509

Carnmore wrote: »

Where can they bought from and how do I know which one to buy?

This is a an Irish company that manufacture repeaters complying with the Irish regulations - https://www.stelladoradus.com/product-category/home-mobile-signal-boosters/.
My brother has been using this one for about a year now - https://www.stelladoradus.com/product/gsm-booster/

3 Ireland operate in the 900/1800/2100 bands, a 900MHz band repeater should cover your requirements.

Carnmore wrote: »

Are the rules different in the UK?

Yes, the regulations differ between the 2 countries. The Irish regulations allow wideband repeaters which will work with all mobile network operators within a band. Useful where a household may have subscribers to different networks.

The UK regulations only allow repeaters to work with a single network, selected at setup. In households with subscribers to different networks a repeater could be required for each network depending on their signal condition within the house. Most of the repeaters sold in the UK I suspect are the wideband type from Asia with dodgy technical specifications.

Carnmore

The Cush wrote: »

3 Ireland operate in the 900/1800/2100 bands, a 900MHz band repeater should cover your requirements.

Thanks for the reply. Will a 900MHz repeater work with the 1800 or 2100 bands though?

The Cush

Carnmore wrote: »

Will a 900MHz repeater work with the 1800 or 2100 bands though?

Sorry I missed the bit in your original post that you require it for 4G broadband.

No, that repeater won't work. The 3 Network uses the 800 & 1800 bands for 4G IIRC, Stelladoradus has a 4 band repeater (800/900/1800 /2100Mhz) on their website, the StellaBoost L4, but no price listed.

Would a 4G broadband router and external antenna be a better and cheaper option for this?

Carnmore

The Cush wrote: »

Sorry I missed the bit in your original post that you require it for 4G broadband.

No, that repeater won't work. The 3 Network uses the 800 & 1800 bands for 4G IIRC, Stelladoradus has a 4 band repeater (800/900/1800 /2100Mhz) on their website, the StellaBoost L4, but no price listed.

Would a 4G broadband router and external antenna be a better and cheaper option for this?

Problem with the Stelladoradus is the price.

A 4G broadband router and external antenna would probably be a better option but it would involve paying another €20-€30 per month on top of monthly mobile phone cost.

The Cush

Carnmore wrote: »

A 4G broadband router and external antenna would probably be a better option but it would involve paying another €20-€30 per month on top of monthly mobile phone cost.

Why would you have to pay another €20-30 p.m., just buy the 4g router and antenna, pop in your SIM and away you go?

Carnmore

The Cush wrote: »

Why would you have to pay another €20-30 p.m., just buy the 4g router and antenna, pop in your SIM and away you go?

Wouldn’t be able to use phone then though?

The Cush

Carnmore wrote: »

Wouldn’t be able to use phone then though?

That's correct, back to a repeater then.