SOUTH AFRICA BE INFORMED
How will I know if the signal booster I’m buying is legal?
A legal signal booster will have an ICASA T/A number sticker on the product box as well as a sticker stuck on the product itself. It will look like this: T/A-2018/1358
This T/A number can be checked on the ICASA T/A database.
- This informs you the customer that the seller is ICASA RF licensed and is a South African registered company.
- This gives you assurance of a guaranteed and aftersales service.
- This also tells you that the T/A approved appliance is authorized for use on the SA mobile operator network.
- An appliance
Does a cellular signal booster really work?
They surely do. Professional signal boosters or cell extenders amplify existing signal (RSSI) and give excellent coverage to small homes, large homes, offices, mines and even malls. A cellular signal booster does not amplify Wi-Fi signal – you will purchase a Wi-Fi signal booster to do this. Cellular signal boosters also greatly improve cellular data speeds on 2G, 3G, 4G LTE & 5G wireless.
How does satellite data/voice work?
The Viasat illustration below is very clear wrt the up and downlink.
We are specifically addressing the following assumption: Do not be fooled by adverts telling you that satellite is the solution to load shedding. This also applies to WiFi.
- Satellite routers/modems installed in your home also require power like a mobile repeater. Ups/solar/generator can be installed to address this, for both technologies.
- Just as a mobile phone needs a base station, a satellite router requires a ground station that connects via fiber to the Internet that can also be influenced by power cuts just as a mobile base station can. Internet is called “the cloud” but it is not hosted in the clouds – 70% is firmly on the ground and housed in Ashburn in Loudoun County, Virginia USA https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_all-about-america_heres-where-internet-actually-lives/6184090.html
- A satellite ground station, just like a mobile network base station will have either backup batteries and/or a generator if the electricity supply is unreliable. This means either platform has a few hours of backup before going offline. In RSA this is mainly based on overcoming load shedding. Satellite, fiber, and mobile are all influenced when high voltage power lines are down, vandalized, or stolen. Satelite is no exception in RSA.
- Based on this bit of information we pose a question: what happens if you have satellite connectivity, it is load shedding, you have backup power and you want to phone your neighbor who does not have either? What advantage do you have above a signal booster or fiber router with a ups?
- Or how does satellite help you work from home to connect to your office when the office has load shedding and their base station is down?
All communication platforms are reliant on electricity. It is a fact that if Eskom fails and RSA has a total blackout, no mobile calls or internet will be available within a short period of time. We had proof of this in Tshwane on 10 April 2023. https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2023-04-10-power-line-falls-on-n4-leaving-parts-of-pretoria-east-without-power/ A satellite phone to a satellite phone charged on a ups/solar/generator could still operate, but so will a two-way radio to a radio.
How Do Cell Signal Boosters Work?
Explaining how a signal booster works is simple.
An outdoor antenna is installed on a mast above the roof in the air where the best possible signal can be received. An indoor signal booster or amplifier will amplify the signal up and down and redistribute coverage throughout your home/office via an indoor antenna or an antenna system (DAS).
Explaining complications with regards to oscillation can become a technical challenge as you have to contend with 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G all being transmitted by the network operators on different frequency bands at the same time. A signal booster amplifying all the bands may sounds like the way to go, Firstly, take note, it will cost you an arm and a leg and two, secondly, what if only B8 (2G, GSM900) is available? What is the rest of the repeater functions amplifying, noise? No signal booster on earth can amplify signal that is not available in the air above you.
Are Cell Signal Boosters Legal?
ICASA approved signal boosters are legal. (Independent Communications Authority of South Africa) A legal signal booster will have an ICASA T/A number sticker on the product box as well as a sticker stuck on the product itself. It will look like this: e.g.: T/A-2018/1358 . If it does not have a sticker depicting this, it is illegal. The legal certifying body in South Africa is ICASA and not the FCC (USA) or (CE) which is a UK safety certification. Do not be fooled, if the signal booster you have purchased is illegal, ICASA has detecting equipment and authorised officers to get a warrant, confiscate the repeater and you will possibly have to appear in a South African court on charges and end up with a fine.
South Africa be informed. https://www.icasa.org.za/pages/type-approval
Buys legal ICASA signal boosters: https://sdexperts.co.za/online-store
Do Cell Signal Boosters Work on My Network Carrier?
Misinformation in this regard wrt South African network operators is misleading and incorrect. There are two types of signal boosters available. A Wide band which will amplify all the network operators transmitting on a specific Band. Then there are Band Selected B/S boosters that will only amplify what they where design for – that is, only amplify selected frequencies. Many users have purchased a USA CDMA signal booster and walked through our doors seeking guidance as they could not get it to amplify anything. Logically South African networks broadcast on B8, B3, B40 and B7 wirelessly. The majority of 5G as well as lot of LTE is available via fibre. The news will inform you that there are a lot of negotiations still in process between ICASA and network operators in SA, most have been happening for some years in this regard. This present situation is. 15/10/2022
GSM
Name | Interface | ||
| 900 (E-GSM) | GSM | 2G | VC/MTN/CC |
| 1800 (DCS) | GSM | 4G | VC/MTN/CC/TK |
UMTS
Name | Interface | ||
| B1 (2100) | UMTS | 3G | VC/MTN/CC/TK |
| B5 (850) | UMTS | ? | |
| B8 (900 GSM) | UMTS | 3G | VC/MTN/CC/TK |
LTE
Name | Interface | ||
| B1 (2100) | LTE | VC/MTN/CC/TK | |
| B3 (1800 +) | LTE | VC/MTN/CC/TK | |
| B40 (TD 2300) | LTE | Rain shared | |
| B40 (2300) | LTE | TK |
https://www.frequencycheck.com/interfaces/lte
https://mybroadband.co.za/forum/threads/telkom-lte-frequency-bands.1004710/
What Is A Single-Carrier Amplifier?
The correct terminology is Band Selective (B/S) booster or cell extender that will only amplify what frequency Bands they where design for. Network operators mainly purchase these to extend their own network and not their oppositions. It is also used by professional installers in the following applications.
A site may have 100% signal strength (RSSI) from network base station “A” on GSM900. But the subscriber uses network “B” from which the signal strength is only 40%. (poor signal or 1-2 bars) -82dBm RSSI measured on GSM900.
A GSM900 wide band repeater, one that amplifies all networks, will in this case cause problems for subscribers on network “A” because, the wide band booster will cause oscillation and noise by over amplifying the already 100% signal to e.g.: 135%. This will also cause the base station to attenuate its output and cause dropped calls and distortion can occur for other subscribers.
A GSM900 B/S booster will only amplify network “B” to 100% and cause no problem to other network users. There you have a perfect solution – both network operators at 100% and no problem caused.
Does a Cell Signal Booster Need the Internet to Work?
No. It operates from its own power source. It receives (Accepts) and amplifies only cellular signal, GSM900, 1800 or WCDMA 2100 not Wi.Fi. (2.4 or 5.8GHz)
How Do Cell Signal Boosters Work Outside?
SoHo (Small Office or Home Office) or Pico repeater (signal booster) was designed to enhance indoor signal. Outdoor high power cell extenders and TMB (tower mounted boosters) are available to businesses, mining and industries requiring amplification of cellular signal within a shopping mall, a sport stadium, an open cast mine, coverage over farming or rural areas such as game reserves and lodges.
How Do Cell Signal Boosters Work While Hiking?
There are portable outdoor repeaters available. You can take your booster camping and you can take it cycling, you can take if hiking.
But you need to be informed that the appliance requires quite a bit of 12DCV power to operate. This involves large and heavy batteries. It will not, just like a 2 way radio or mobile phone operate directly off solar. They all have batteries that have to be charged by solar but all these devices are dependant on power and a network.
As an emergency communications tool, a vehicle signal booster kit with a 10Ahr gate motor battery can be backpacked and most definitely taken camping with your camping trailer or caravan.
If you’re traveling in a sedan, a RV, bus or truck, a vehicle signal booster is an ideal solution. Be connected to anywhere when you have signal.
Can My Neighbors Leech Off My Cell Signal Booster?
Taken from the internet: “No, they cannot. Signal boosters are designed to prevent this from happening. The devices only work in the confined space where they’re installed. If your neighbour wants to benefit from your boosted cell signal, she’ll have to come over to your house.”
Utter nonsense. Operator signal is available to everyone who has a sim card that can connect to them. A cellular signal booster is a device that amplifies cellular signal indiscriminately. A correctly installed signal booster presents coverage which can extend to a few meters outside a home or office. A worker can be standing outside your door calling a friend in Canada. If you are living in a town house in SA this is very possible. Your neighbour can install a second signal booster and piggyback via your booster to the BTS (base station). There will be no costs to you but a convenience to your neighbour. Please do not get misled. The network signal you have amplified does not belong to you. You are a subscriber to a licenced network provider. Your sim card will tell you who that is.
Are Cell Signal Boosters 5G Compatible?
Just like 2G, 3G and 4G, 5G is a cellular interface that is trans-received within an allocated frequency spectrum that is licenced to an operator. Once that operator has a wireless network rolled out for 5G, they can transmit and receive any mobile handheld that is 5G ready and subscribed to them.
Yes, 5G repeaters are available from Amplitec. Dual band repeaters such as GSM900 plus B7 2600 are available. So are tri-band and quad band.
Be informed, make sure that your operator has a 5G network rolled out where you require it.
How can I boost my Vodacom or my MTN or Cell C or Telkom signal?
The question refers to boosting only one operator OR another operator, and not ALL the operators.
Please see What Is A Single-Carrier Amplifier?
Do cell phone boosters work if you have no service?
In order to work they need to receive some existing poor cell signal. If there is absolutely no cell signal (-120dBm) at your site or location, then a cell booster will not work to enhance signal. It can not amplify nothing.
But do not despair easily. Make sure that you measure signal at least 6 to 8 meters in the air and not conclude there is no signal because you are measuring at ground level where there is no indication of signal on your mobile. Either get on the roof or contact us to do a site visit with the right equipment; you’ll be surprised at where SD Experts has provided signal.
What does T/A ICASA approved mean?
The ICASA approved label found on internationally manufactured products implies the products meet, along with the approved stipulated frequency, the strict Radio Frequency Interference standards stipulated by ICASA.
This certifies that any receiving/transmitting appliance used in South Africa is declared legal to use and be resold by a South African registered company within the ICASA stipulated parameters. Any appliance not T/A type approved is certified as illegal to be resold or use within the borders of South Africa any company or user doing so will be prosecuted and the products confiscated.
Therefor, it should be clear that most of the signal booster sold over the internet are illegal as the are not Companies in SA and can not be held accountable under SA law and disregard ICASA and SA network operators by purchasing appliances that do not comply to standards.
How do I boost cell signal at home?
Installing a Cell Phone repeater or Signal Booster will amplify available outdoor signal. Using an outdoor LPDA antenna mounted high in the air where signal is better than at ground level, the Amplitec signal booster will amplify and distribute it indoors. It will greatly improve indoor coverage and data speeds when using a wireless router. An Amplitec signal Booster will easily give coverage to an average Home. Addition indoor antennas can be added to expand the coverage and even manipulate it, giving coverage to some outdoor arias around the home.
Care must always be taken not to cause noise, interference or oscillation onto the cellular network. If unsure, make use of a qualified ICASA licensed installer who is equipped with the correct tools to doe so.
How do I boost cell signal at our office?
Installing a Cell Phone repeater or Signal Booster will amplify available outdoor signal. Using an outdoor LPDA antenna mounted high in the air where signal is better than at ground level, the Amplitec signal booster will amplify and distribute in your office. It will greatly improve indoor coverage and data speeds when using a wireless router. An Amplitec signal Booster will easily give coverage to an open plan office. Addition indoor antennas can be added to expand the coverage to other floors or individual offices. Indoor safes, escalators and stair wells are no exception.
Coverage is very relevant in banks and financial institutions where OTP are a necessity but strengthened glass and blinds obstructed signal creating embarrassment.
What causes poor signal strength?
Signal being transmitted and received from the BTS (base transmitting station) or cell tower is of high quality and millions have been spent to make it so for subscribers.
Cellular signal which is presently still mostly being transmitted wirelessly throughout South Africa is on 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz. LTE and 5G on the new frequencies, still require a lot of wireless networking to be done.
These frequencies fall within the high UHF and Microwave frequencies – therefore, use of high wattage to amplify it becomes dangerous and a health risk. 2400 MHz is what your microwave operates on – think on that – I rest my case.
Due to these high frequencies and low wattage, penetrations of bricks, concrete, blinds on windows, reflection from steel roofing, high trees and surrounding builds obstruct the signal from penetrating where it is most needed, indoors.
An indoor signal booster with an outdoor antenna mounted on a mast will greatly enhance your mobile and your wireless router’s received signal (RSSI).
Distances from the base station up to 25 kilometers with LoS (line of sight) are not a problem for good quality Amplitec signal booster.
Even giving coverage to a homestead or a lodge behind a Kopple (hill) can be overcome.
https://sdexperts.co.za/large-home-office/
How do I fix Poor cell phone signal on a farm?
Signal being transmitted and received from the BTS (base transmitting station) or cell tower is of high quality and millions have been spent to make it so for subscribers.
Cellular signal which is presently still mostly being transmitted wirelessly throughout South Africa is on 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz. LTE and 5G on the new frequencies, still require a lot of wireless networking to be done.
These frequencies fall within the high UHF and Microwave frequencies – therefore, use of high wattage to amplify it becomes dangerous and a health risk. 2400 MHz is what your microwave operates on – think on that – I rest my case.
Due to these high frequencies and low wattage, penetrations of bricks, concrete, blinds on windows, reflection from steel roofing, high trees and surrounding builds obstruct the signal from penetrating where it is most needed, indoors.
An indoor signal booster with an outdoor antenna mounted on a mast will greatly enhance your mobile and your wireless router’s received signal (RSSI).
Distances from the base station up to 25 kilometers with LoS (line of sight) are not a problem for good quality Amplitec signal booster.
Even giving coverage to a homestead or a lodge behind a Kopple (hill) can be overcome.
https://sdexperts.co.za/large-home-office/
https://sdexperts.co.za/lodge-in-difficult-terrain/
https://sdexperts.co.za/lodge-in-namibia/
How do I fix Poor cell phone signal at my lodge?
Signal being transmitted and received from the BTS (base transmitting station) or cell tower is of high quality and millions have been spent to make it so for subscribers.
Cellular signal which is presently still mostly being transmitted wirelessly throughout South Africa is on 900, 1800 and 2100 MHz. LTE and 5G on the new frequencies, still require a lot of wireless networking to be done.
These frequencies fall within the high UHF and Microwave frequencies – therefore, use of high wattage to amplify it becomes dangerous and a health risk. 2400 MHz is what your microwave operates on – think on that – I rest my case.
Due to these high frequencies and low wattage, penetrations of bricks, concrete, blinds on windows, reflection from steel roofing, high trees and surrounding builds obstruct the signal from penetrating where it is most needed, indoors.
An indoor signal booster with an outdoor antenna mounted on a mast will greatly enhance your mobile and your wireless router’s received signal (RSSI).
Distances from the base station up to 25 kilometers with LoS (line of sight) are not a problem for good quality Amplitec signal booster.
Even giving coverage to a homestead or a lodge behind a Kopple (hill) can be overcome.
https://sdexperts.co.za/large-home-office/
https://sdexperts.co.za/lodge-in-difficult-terrain/
https://sdexperts.co.za/lodge-in-namibia/