Boosters are great signal stretchers…but are you forgetting something?

Carrier consent is key.  

A wideband consumer signal booster got a lot of buzz at CES 2017 for integrating the indoor antenna with the amplifier into a more attractive design. Although the FCC recently streamlined many of its rules for the use of signal boosters, and has therefore given the booster market its own “boost,” there are still important conditions to using boosters in the home or enterprise environments.

If buying a consumer booster, for either home or business use, make sure the device you intend to buy has been pre-approved by the carrier(s) with which you intend to use the device, and that you abide by the FCC’s requirement to register the device with all carriers with which you intend to use the device.

If considering a higher power booster, or one that will be used by a variety of users who may subscribe to different carriers’ networks (a so-called “industrial booster”), be sure to work with your carrier(s) to understand their requirements; i.e., do not buy and install a booster system and then seek carrier consent.

Carriers are under no specific obligation to consent to use of industrial boosters, and they have significant discretion in approving devices that will be operating on their frequencies.