Signal Boxes

[Curr946]

So my mate out in the sticks struggle to get any signal with any of the networks, but O2 was the best, I use that term in jest. He was always dropping calls etc so went looking for a signal box, as the tugo app didn't work in pay and go, is he would be ok but his wife and son wasn't.

He is just off the phone with EE and they have signed him up on a 12 month sim only and posting him out a signal box. He is also being second two pay and go sims for his wife and son.

that's three lines O2 has lost because they don't do a signal box. I mean they aren't exactly expensive and he said he would have paid to get one.

any reason why o2 don't just move with the times and offer these?

[jonsie]

I think the price was set so high simply because it was available only to businesses. Plus the inevitable VAT! If they were mass produced and offered to consumers I'm sure the price could have been lowered substantially.

[PhoneDoc]

Signal repeaters, the likes of which you can buy on eBay, are usually illegal to operate in the UK without a license because the models sold tend to be pretty powerful and can interfere with other signals. They work by amplifying reception from nearby cell towers.

Signal 'boosters' from networks, work differently, in that they require a local broadband connection. They then use that internet connection to pump out 2G/3G to a much smaller nearby area. 

Maybe legislation was more liberal in the past and other products were previously offered to consumers, but now, these are the only types of signal enhancers offered to consumers by any network.

Tu works exactly the same way as this, is cheaper to manage, is easier for customers, has added features and can be constantly updated - which is why I can't see resources being allocated to designing and marketing boxes for consumers

Hope this helps

[Cleoriff]

And it was quite obviously an illegal box bought by that customer in Somerset. (In the link I posted earlier) It was so powerful it apparently lost the rest of the village their wifi connection....

[PhoneDoc]

On the plus side at least you'd have a full set of bars haha

[Curr946]

Around the £100 mark seems reasonable. Three, ee and voda offer the boosters that hock into the internet. The repeaters I've only seen on eBay etc.

[jonsie]

TU does not do the same job as a signal booster, it's purely wifi based and does not enhance a signal from any tower.

[Anonymous]

O2 Tech Support told me I need a "Boost Box" @£150 each to help my problem of Poor Coverage. My response is why should I pay that to compensate for O2 poor service.

[MI5]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@O2 Tech Support told me I need a "Boost Box" @£150 each to help my problem of Poor Coverage. My response is why should I pay that to compensate for O2 poor service.

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Can you not use the free Tu app?

[Curr946]

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@Anonymous wrote:

@O2 Tech Support told me I need a "Boost Box" @£150 each to help my problem of Poor Coverage. My response is why should I pay that to compensate for O2 poor service.

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because sometimes the issue is the building, thickness of Walls etc. I'd buy one, end of the day no network greats much signal in my mates. But the fact that ee made a box available he's moving. Not as good deal as he had with o2, but fat load of good that is if he can't use the phone.

[Anonymous]

Vodafone and EE on the newer phones have VoWiFi, basically TuGo but native to the phones so you don't need to open an app or use the app.

To me this removes ALL issues with poor signals in rural areas (assuming you have Wifi of course).

Personally I want to stay with O2 and I can be patient if I know O2 are working on the technology but I raised this a month or two ago but with no conclusive reply to say it was or wasn't coming.

Maybe the question can be asked again?

Surely O2 will lose customers to their rivals if they don't keep up with their technology.

I will defect to EE soon unless O2 can tell me it's in the pipeline. My signal is atrocious and there's no point staying if EE can guarantee me a perfect signal with VoWiFi.

So rather than struggle with a boost box (which I hear eats into your data allowance when on the internet rather than using Wifi), maybe you should consider EE or Vodafone?