We'd all love to have crystal clear cell phone reception and blazing fast data speeds on our mobile phones, but unfortunately we're not so lucky in many locations, including even in major metropolitan areas. In an effort to change that, cell phone signal boosters are frequently used to provide cell service to areas which were altogether lacking before. Until recently, that only consisted of improved voice and 3G data, but with the widespread availability of 4G enabled devices now, the demand for signal boosters that also boost 4G has grown as well.
In an effort to provide a complete solution for individuals and businesses to boost 2G, 3G and 4G signals,
Wi-Ex, a leading manufacturer of cell phone signal boosters, has released the zBoost SOHO YX550 for AWS and Verizon LTE Upgrade Kit (YX550-VLTE-AWS-UPGRADE). This product is designed to be used in tandem with the YX545, our best selling dual-band signal booster, which together creates a quad-band system, capable of boosting 2G, 3G, and 4G signals for
Verizon,
T-Mobile,
MetroPCS, and
most Canadian carriers. This is the most affordable system of its kind, and is now available as a single kit from UberSignal, called the
Dual zBoost YX545 & YX550-VLTE-AWS for 3G, Verizon 4G LTE and AWS kit.
The Challenge of 4G with Different Carriers
For the last few years, the “dual-band” signal booster has been the the most popular type of cell phone signal repeater because they're able to boost the 2G and 3G networks of most major carriers in North America. However, in the last few years, things have become much more complicated with new 4G networks using different frequencies on a carrier by carrier basis.
Verizon Wireless
If you’re a Verizon customer who has upgraded to a new smartphone within the last few months, chances are, it’s
4G LTE capable. If you happen to be living in an area with a 4G LTE signal, you’ve probably experienced how amazingly fast it can be. For anyone who hasn’t used 4G LTE, it’s like having a fast cable Internet connection available everywhere you go and is truly a pleasure to use.
Unfortunately, Verizon’s new LTE network does not use the same frequencies as a their 3G network so a typical signal booster won’t amplify the signal leaving you stranded on their 3G network. And while Verizon LTE signal boosters have existed for over a year now, if you went with an LTE only booster, you’d get great data rates, but no support for phone calls, since voice connections still take place on Verizon’s 3G network.
T-Mobile & Canadian Carriers
T-Mobile customers actually have even more challenges when boosting their cell signal. The 3G and 4G networks on T-Mobile use a completely different frequency band called AWS that isn’t supported by standard signal boosters. Using a dual-band signal booster would amplify T-Mobile’s 2G network giving you clear phone calls, but you generally always have to have your phone set to 2G mode leaving you with no data.
While the obvious solution would be to get a booster that is made specifically for 3G and 4G, T-Mobile has announced that it has plans to move their 3G network from AWS to the frequency used by their 2G network, which means that T-Mobile customers with an AWS signal booster would find themselves stuck with only boosted 4G data, and no improved voice or 3G.
This problem exists as well for customers of MetroPCS, Cricket Wireless, and all Canadian carriers, who have some portion of their network using AWS.
The Solution
With the introduction of the new
Dual zBoost YX545 & YX550-VLTE-AWS kit, customers no longer have to choose between fast data or improved voice calls, or worry about their carrier switching technologies and leaving them with poor service. Customers of Verizon, T-Mobile, MetroPCS, Cricket, and Canadian carriers, including Bell, MTS, Rogers, and Telus, will now be able to boost 2G, 3G and 4G signals with just one cell phone signal boosting kit.
Installation Options
The
Dual zBoost YX545 & YX550-VLTE-AWS for 3G, Verizon 4G LTE and AWS kit has two installation options which allows you to choose the best approach for your situation. The easiest way to set up the system, and the installation method that the kit is designed for, is to use a single outside antenna with a single cable that runs inside, and is then split and connected to the two amplifiers. This approach requires only one antenna and one cable going into the building, but you also only get half of the signal strength going to each amplifier, resulting in less coverage area than the second installation option.
The second option is to use two outside antennas, each with a coax cable running into an amplifier, which makes for a slightly more involved installation, but you get a larger total coverage area. The second antenna and cable will need to be purchased separately, as they are not included in the kit, so please
contact us for help with that.
For more detailed information about installing the Dual zBoost SOHO system, check out the Installation Instructions section on the
product page.
Overall, we're very excited about the opportunity to offer an all-in-one solution for boosting 2G, 3G and 4G signals for many of the most popular carriers in North America. If you have any questions about the Dual zBoost SOHO system or how to upgrade your existing YX545, please
contact us.
