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RF Repeaters Explained: What They Are and How They Improve Cell Signal
Published October 26, 2023Estimated Reading TIme: 2 minutes
Radio Frequency (RF) repeaters are powerful tools to enhance cellular coverage, but many people don’t understand how they work. From basic principles to real-world applications, discover how these devices can transform weak cellular signals into reliable coverage throughout your building.
Let’s take a look at some of the attributes of RF repeaters and how they can help to improve cell signal in areas where signal is weak. Also called a cellular repeater, an RF signal repeater uses a three-part system to capture weak signal, and then amplify, or repeat that signal to strengthen it. The signal is then broadcast to the areas in a building or commercial space where signal is weak. 
RF repeaters are used in many different industries like government buildings, schools, stores, and offices to improve in-building cell signal.
RF repeaters are used in many different industries like government buildings, schools, stores, and offices to improve in-building cell signal.
They also work together with nearby distributed antenna systems (DAS) to improve the cellular coverage in an area. DAS are cellular repeater solutions (also referred to as cell signal amplifiers or boosters) work with RF signal repeaters to receive a greater volume of signal from nearby cellular towers, thereby magnifying the signals sent and received.
These repeaters can strengthen weak signal significantly.
Why Do You Need a Cell Phone Repeater?
A number of factors contribute to poor cellular connectivity, including cell tower distance, environmental elements such as trees and mountains, and building materials, including metal, glass, and concrete.
The use of an RF repeater can solve poor connectivity issues caused by these factors. An RF repeater can improve 3G and 4G LTE signal strength between your mobile devices and nearby cell towers. Much like a megaphone, the RF signal repeater boosts the performance of existing cellular signal.
Cellular repeater technology offers an economical solution for businesses and large buildings. Unlike Active DAS systems, which are expensive and take a long time to install — and generally used for very large complexes like airports or campuses — WilsonPro repeater and hybrid DAS solutions can be implemented in as little as a week to month.
These commercial-grade cellular amplifiers boost signal for everyone in a building regardless of cell carrier and improve data speeds and call quality for all devices.
If you’d like to learn how your business or facility can benefit from the use of one of our cellular repeater solutions, contact WilsonPro today.
