Vodafone's SureSignal (pictured) is just one of the methods you can use to boost your …There are many different reasons for mobile signal black spots. You may be deep in the countryside where there isn’t a phone mast for miles, you may work in a tower block with thick walls, metal window frames and tall buildings all around or you may live in an inexplicable dead zone with no consistent signal. But whatever the reason, there are measures you can take to ease your signal woes - and products that can help even if you're locked into an 18-month contract with a network that doesn't deliver.
Uncover the problem
Your first port of call should be your network provider’s website to check network coverage maps, find the strongest signal areas and see if your problem is temporary or permanent. If it’s the latter, your only real option is to switch provider. Before you do, ask friends on different networks to see who has the strongest signal at the location you need it most.
Of course it’s not always that simple. You may have a work-supplied phone, which means you don’t have the option to change, or you may have just signed up to an 18-month contract, which would be expensive to get out of. Don’t worry though – all is not lost.
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The basic steps
Check different spots in your house or office for patches of reception (try by windows and doors) as even a few feet can make a big difference. As ridiculous as it may sound, try holding your phone differently – the iPhone 4S internal aerial ‘grip of death’ issue proved that grasping your phone tightly in the wrong place can genuinely affect reception.
Among the best is the Pong range of cases for everything from iPhone to Android and Blackberry, which can improve phone signal and WiFi range by up to nine times. Prices start at £39.99 and as an added extra, they also reduce radiation exposure from your phone.
More advanced tactics
Consider using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), which requires you having a WiFi signal, WiFi enabled phone and VoIP software such as these free apps from Finarea for Android and Talkatone for iPhone. Some phones have VoIP built in, but all will be a challenge to seamlessly route between normal phone signal and VoIP as and when you need it. Using them may involve changing your mobile number to route incoming calls via a third party, which is hardly ideal.
Help from your network
If you’re still struggling, try a 2G and 3G network booster from Vodafone or 3G booster from Three. These little devices boost your phone signal by exploiting not only your normal network but also your home broadband connection to make the signal as strong as possible. Vodafone Sure Signal costs £50 while Three Home Signal is available on request to pay monthly customers – all you need is home broadband.
If you’re an Orange customer, an alternative to network boosters is Unlicensed Mobile Access, prosaically called Signal Boost. It works in much the same way as the Vodafone and Three boosters by seamlessly switching between your mobile network signal and home WiFi signal when in range. The only catch is that it currently comes pre-embedded on a range of only three Orange phones including the BlackBerry Curve 9360 and Samsung Galaxy SII, so can’t be added to your existing handset.
Phone repeaters
There are a few other ways to get hands on with your phone and boost your signal, but we wouldn’t recommend them as they’re unreliable, impractical and not always legal.
Be particularly aware too of phone repeaters or boosters. Readily available on the internet and eBay, they’re legal to sell, buy and own but are illegal to use in the UK (that’s the British legal system for you) and carry a big fine if you get caught. Essentially a roof mounted aerial and box, they retransmit your phone signal to improve it.
Your final option is also your first option – if all else fails, change network provider to one that offers the best coverage in the areas you need it most.
