CEL-FI Enables Internet in Rural Areas

Challenge

Northland Consultants in Sault Ste. Marie, Canada is a CEL-FI reseller servicing the Northern Ontario market. Like other remote parts of the world, there are many areas of low population density with no access to DSL services. Where cellular service is available, customers experience more than their fair share of cellular dead zones. Even when a building is relatively close to a cellular tower, the terrain can make it difficult for home owners and offices to get decent coverage, says owner Marko Koskenoja.

“To get coverage at home, people are using cellular sticks or turbo hub cellular-based services,” he explains. “But there are issues around antenna arrays, topography and trees. If an antenna doesn’t point to where you work, live or drive, you can’t get a clear signal.”

There is one more unique problem that the antenna arrays bring to communities and homes near the US border. Signals from providers such as AT&T and Verizon can interfere with the service customers are receiving from their local carrier. This not only adds to signal delays, it has been known to bring high roaming bills from US providers (and vice versa).

The Results

Koskenoja says that the CEL-FI Smart Signal Booster has been a godsend for resolving a lot of those issues. “We’ve used other booster equipment but CEL-FI is by far the best.”

Here’s a case in point. One couple’s home was 2.5 kilometers from a cell tower, and could not get a decent signal. The wife relied heavily on the Internet for her genealogy website and magazine so used a turbo hub, although speeds were slow. Even their iPhones barely worked.

Koskenoja installed an antenna outside their home and added a CEL-FI indoors. “It created a beautiful bubble effect up to 13,000 square feet. Only CEL-FI devices can do that. Now they have coverage into the garage as well as the driveway and much faster Internet speeds. They’re amazed because they have five bars on their iPhone for the first time.”

He adds: “The best part is, because CEL-FI is registered to a specific carrier, it works harmoniously with their towers so there’s no risk they will shut it down. And because CEL-FI creates a coverage bubble, customers don’t have to worry about intrusions and roaming charges from other providers.”

Koskenoja says he has seen customers with tears in their eyes once he has completed a CEL-FI installation. “They’re thrilled because they can finally use Skype to connect with their grandchildren and other family members.”

Do you have questions about improving cellular coverage in remote regions? Contact our partners at CEL-FI Online Resellers for Homes.