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Listener Steven in Sparta, Missouri listens on WTN 99.7 FM and asked Into Tomorrow about signal boosters:
In bad to low cell phone signal areas, is there a way to boost it, other than a Wilson booster?
There are other options other than Wilson, Wilson is a big brand, but ultimately, it’s just a brand. And you should know that Wilson recently merged with zBoost is now WeBoost.
SureCall offers good cellphone signal boosters, some specifically made for low outdoor signal areas, and you may even be able to find both boosters and extenders from your own carrier.
Verizon, for example, sells both branded boosters and extenders. The extenders are made by Samsung and need internet access, but will act as a mini cellphone tower and give you service even if there’s nothing on the air to repeat. AT&T calls the same devices “Microcells,” and they also have them available to their customers.
These devices are usually fairly simple to set up, you just tie them to your account, there’s typically an online registration, then they’ll try to get a GPS lock to figure out where they are and which towers they can attempt to contact, and you should be up and running after that. The advantage of going with your own cell phone company is that sometimes (not always) they may cover part or all of the cost of the repeater or extender to keep you as a customer.
These devices are not cheap, you’re looking at spending many hundreds on them, so if your carrier is willing to cover even some of it, you may be in for substantial savings.