Do you face signal coverage problems when you need stable reception, and are you wondering how to get better mobile reception at home in Australia? There is no room for stressing out because we have ten ways to help you get a strong signal. 

Let’s start with boosting your phone signal.

Reasons You Have a Bad Mobile Phone Signal

More than 75% of Aussies assess their telecommunication services as average or good. But why are people unsatisfied with their mobile services when we have top-notch technology?

As it turns out, lousy reception is something many people experience, and the leading causes are:

  • Being far away from the cell tower,
  • Significant obstacles between the cell tower and your phone, like skyscrapers and buildings, the building construction or terrain,
  • Network overload due to an increased number of devices being serviced,
  • Bad weather, or
  • Problem with your carrier.

Ten Ways to Improve Your Phone’s Signal Strength

Now that we know why this problem occurs let’s continue with how to boost your mobile phone signal.

1. Restart Your Phone.

The simplest solution is restarting your phone or turning on aeroplane mode. Then, with a fresh start, your phone can clear the glitches with the mobile network and fix the problem when the antenna signal constantly switches from one tower to another, struggling to find a better signal. 

It would help if you also restart your phone or turn on aeroplane mode for 10 seconds when travelling abroad and going to another roaming carrier zone.

2. Keep Your Battery Charged.

While your phone is connecting to the nearest tower, it takes a significant amount of your battery. Thus, if your battery is low, your phone might face power shortages and difficulties while searching for a strong signal.

On the other hand, if you use “conserve power” or “power saving mode”, your smartphone will limit power usage when looking for better reception. So, you can use optimised battery charging and turn off the power-saving mode to boost your mobile phone reception.

3. Configure Your Settings.

The solution to your bad reception at home can lie in your phone’s network configuration. Hence, you need to check your phone’s settings and adjust them according to your prepaid plan.

For instance, if your plan features high-speed 4G or 5G data, and your phone is set only to get 3G, you will have problems with your reception. That is because every generation of telecommunication technology comes from separate towers and has different properties.

You should also check your bands because network carriers add new frequencies to expand their coverage. If you have an older phone, you may receive a lousy signal because your phone cannot connect to the new frequencies.

4. Use a Mobile Phone Repeater.

One of the most efficient methods for boosting mobile phone signal at home is getting a mobile phone repeater. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) recommends boosting your phone signal with a cellular mobile repeater. Note that you must have written permission from your mobile phone carrier to use a cellular mobile repeater. 

Keep in mind there is a difference between a cellular mobile repeater and a mobile reception booster. Cellular mobile repeaters can be used in Australia and work by communicating with multiple handsets while using radio frequencies. On the contrary, mobile reception boosters are illegal, and they provide a single mobile handset with a wired connection.

5. Get a Femtocell Tech.

Boosting mobile reception can also be done with a femtocell that converts your internet signals into mobile phone signals. Many mobile network providers offer femtocell as a signal booster for your phone.

To get the most out of the femtocell device, your broadband should have a speed higher than 1.5 Mbps and an upload of more than 256Kbps. If your internet is slower than the mentioned requirements, you can switch to one of the fastest internet plans in Australia.

6. Move Around.

Your surrounding can influence the transmission of frequencies. For example, you might get weak mobile phone reception if you live in a neighbourhood with many buildings. Furthermore, if the building you live in is made from materials that block phone signals, we recommend moving near a window because glass is known for letting signals go through.

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Considering that the earth has the power to block the radio waves that make a strong phone signal, living in the basement or being underground will mean you have to deal with lousy reception. That’s why we tend to move our phones higher from the ground when we want to improve our phone’s signal.

7. Get a New SIM Card.

Just like you regularly change your phones for better models, you need to change your SIM card. However, if you have been loyal to your carrier for longer, your SIM card doesn’t have the features to connect to the current advanced network systems.

However, if you have a new SIM card and still have a weak signal, we recommend cleaning it with a cotton swab or disinfectant wipe. Then, gently rub the metal surface of the card and check if it will boost your mobile phone reception.

8. Update Your Phone’s Software.

Although annoying, software updates can significantly improve your phone’s signal and overall functionality. The latest carrier software updates navigate the phone to which towers to connect, improving your call’s quality.

9. Contact Your Provider.

Getting in touch with your provider can also be beneficial because they have the required equipment to inspect your signal problems. Typically, they will take measures to improve the reception if you are in an area with a weak signal.

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But, if the problem is from someone else’s end, they can help you adjust your phone’s settings or give you other explanations regarding your situation. 

10. Use an Antenna.

Ultimately, you can use an antenna as a mobile phone signal booster for your home, and they come in various sizes and types, so there is a fit for almost every phone. 

Here are some tips to help you choose the right one:

  • Use an external antenna if the signal is stronger outdoors than indoors.
  • Get directional antennas if the signal is poor outside.
  • If the signal is excellent outside of your home, use an omnidirectional antenna to receive a signal from 360 degrees.

Bottom Line: How to Get the Best Reception

Aside from utilising our tips for better reception at home, you can work on identifying the nearest phone tower and checking the signal strength. Knowing which tower is the closest, you can easily decide whether it is worth keeping your current network operator or changing to another with better coverage.

However, if you need a better signal while you are on the go, you should opt for hands-free car kits with external vehicle-mounted antennas.

Using a signal booster for a phone to provide one mobile handset with a wired connection is forbidden in Australia. Instead, you can use a cellular mobile repeater or a femtocell device to boost mobile phone reception in Australia.

2. How do I make my phone signal stronger?

You can increase the strength of your signal with these methods:

  • by restarting your phone,
  • keeping your battery full,
  • updating your software,
  • configuring your settings,
  • using a mobile phone repeater or femtocell,
  • moving around,
  • getting a new SIM card or
  • using an antenna.

3. How to get better mobile phone reception at home in Australia with a mobile phone repeater?

First and foremost, you should buy the mobile phone repeater from your carriers and ask for written permission or “third-party authorisation” to use the device. Next, ensure the repeater meets strict operating rules from ACMA. Finally, remember that you should investigate if there are some network issues before using a mobile phone repeater.