NEW YORK – June 28, 2013 – Dropped calls or weak connections are common cell phone complaints. But a recent article in The New York Times highlighted some ways you may be able to improve your signal strength.
If you don’t receive a good signal indoors, check with your cell phone carrier. All major carriers sell a device or technology that allows access to the standard cellular network via a home’s broadband connection (such as AT&T’s 3G MicroCell or Verizon’s Network Extender). You just plug the device into a router and it could potentially improve connection quality as much as five bars.
T-Mobile offers Wi-Fi Calling, which allows users to make calls over a Wi-Fi network when cell reception is poor. But an iPhone would not work with this system; you need a Wi-Fi Calling-capable phone to use it, such as an Android or BlackBerry.
Signal boosters may also help. Boosters can amplify signal strength, but the hardware is bulky. The benefit with this option is that boosters don’t require a specific carrier to add them.
Phone carriers are debuting HD Voice, boasting that it can reduce background noise and improve voice calls like talking to someone on a landline. But the technology is in its infancy. It’s currently only delivered on certain phones, and only works over LTE networks with some carriers.
Source: “Remedies for Better Cellphone Signal and Quality,” The New York Times (June 26, 2013)
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