Cell Phone Signal Boosters:
The Definitive Guide

Understanding Signal Strength X

Although the number of bars on your cell phone is generally a good way to judge signal strength, it’s also subjective across cell phone providers. So what might be 3 bars on Rogers just might be 1 bar on Telus despite having the exact same signal and exact same data speed.

That’s because there is no unified standard on how mobile phone companies represent bars and cell signal strength.

The best, most accurate, and technical way is to look at decibel (dB) reading. Cell phone signal strength is measure in decibels. -50 dB represents great signal. Full bars. -110 dB is virtually no signal. A no-service dead zone. This is true across all carriers and all phones.

What Causes a Weak Cell Phone Signal

Dropped calls. Poor call quality. Slow Internet. Low Bars. These are symptoms of weak cellular signal. There are 3 Major Reasons why this happens:

1. Distance from Cell Phone Tower

One biggest reasons of poor service is distance from the cell tower. The farther away you’re from the cell tower, the weaker the signal your cell phone receives and inversely the closer you are to your carrier's cell tower the better your cell signal is.

2 Outside Interference

Another troubling factor is outside interference. Cell signals are basically radio waves (the AM/FM kind) that cover great distances but are easily disrupted. They generally need a line of sight to the cell tower for effective transmissions. However, the following obstructions can easily affect your signal:

• Trees
• Hills
• Mountains
• Tall structures (buildings, billboards, other urban surroundings)
• Weather (rain, thunderstorms, and snow).

3. Inside Interference

The last and probably most annoying problem is inside interference. Dense building material (thick concrete or brick), metal, glass, radiant barrier, and other conductive material or clutter (electrical or magnetic) will either weaken or block incoming signal.

So even you if have great outside signal and even if you are close to a cell tower, inside interference can still cause you have poor signal.