It can be confusing at times to understand which boosters are approved for use in what markets. For every country where boosters are sold, there’s at least one regulator that has to approve it for use before mobile operators will carry them. In fact, if you haven’t done your homework before going out and buying a booster, you could be facing a fine for non-compliance and your booster may be confiscated.
One thing to keep in mind is, even in countries where boosters are allowed by regulators, approval doesn’t apply to all types or brands. In addition, approval may come with restrictions depending on the type of booster. For example, in the United States the FCC has only approved a few different wideband boosters (the ones you typically find in an electronics store); and those that are approved are limited in terms of their performance to ensure their signals don’t interfere with carrier networks. Then there is our carrier-specific Cel-Fi Smart Signal Booster®, which eliminates any network interference and as a result is approved by the FCC to deliver up to 1,000 times the gain of other boosters.
For the record, our Cel-Fi Smart Signal Boosters are approved for use by regulators in a total of 44 countries/territories – a number that continues to grow. So the next time you hear someone say that a particular regulatory body hasn’t approved signal boosters for use in a particular market, we encourage you to do your research as there’s a good chance that Cel-Fi is among the select few boosters (and often times the only one) given the thumbs up by regulators.
If you want the straight goods before you buy, talk to your mobile operator or better yet, send us a quick email and we’ll fill you in.
By Werner Sievers, CEO