Legality of Mobile Repeaters in the UK: Can You Use Them?

Today, many websites offer mobile boosters for both outdoor and in-office installations. At the same time, some sellers omit the information that in the UK the use of the radio frequency spectrum devices is carried out under the current legislation and is subject to a permissive procedure. In particular, the use of some devices may be illegal under Section 8 of the WT Act 2006. That’s why it’s so important to carefully select equipment to optimise mobile communications. Below, we will talk about the legality of mobile repeaters in the UK.

If you are looking for mobile boosters that will:

• not make you pay a fine,
• not be uninstalled by law enforcement,
• fulfill the promises made by the manufacturer, 

Just contact us.

Legality of Using a Mobile Repeater in the UK

Let’s talk about the legality of mobile boosters in the UK.

“Why are mobile repeaters illegal?” you may ask. In a nutshell, any equipment that connects to the radio frequency spectrum of a mobile provider operating in the UK must be licensed. Using mobile boosters without a licence puts you at risk of a £5,000 fine under the 2006 Act, or even jail time of up to one year. That's why using certified devices isn’t only a guarantee that they will work properly and do everything that their manufacturer claims, it is also a requirement. 

Obviously, to avoid problems connected with the legality of mobile repeaters, it makes sense to use only certified ones.

How Can You Check If Your Mobile Booster Is Legal or Not?

Mobile boosters and all equipment designed to optimise the cellular signal belong to a large group of radio devices. They are strictly regulated under the UK law and are considered illegal for personal use if it conflicts with the Wireless Telegraphy Act of 2006. In particular, it is regulated by the Communications Authority, also known as Ofcom. Ofcom provides licences to local manufacturers of radio equipment, also ensuring the legality and safe of signal boosters.

What should you do if you are using an illegal mobile booster? It's simple: before you get into trouble with the law, urgently find a manufacturer with certified products and purchase a booster with a licence. Unlicensed devices will have to be uninstalled.

How to Legally Boost Mobile Signal

As for legal use of mobile repeaters, there’s only one option for you – to install a certified mobile booster. Thus, you will not only have no problems with local legislation, but also receive the device with the exact characteristics declared by the manufacturer. Usually, trusted manufacturers of this radio equipment clearly indicate on their website that they sell only licensed or license-exempt products.

How Can We Help?

UCtel is a trusted UK company that offers only Ofcom license-exempt solutions for indoor use to boost the stability and accessibility of the mobile signal. In addition, UCtel specialises in planning mobile signal optimisation systems and installing equipment, as well as in its technical support. As a result of turning to UCtel, you get a completely ready-to-work and absolutely legal solution that functions exactly as you expect.

And now let's look at one of the cases implemented by UCtel specialists cost- and time-efficiently.

Some time ago, representatives of London's Northwestern University Healthcare NHS Trust (LNWUH), including Northwick Park Hospital and Central Middlesex Hospital, turned to UCtel specialists with a typical problem: the mobile signal in these buildings was either completely absent or very weak. Providing normal conditions for the use of mobile devices for the trust was a crucial task because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In particular, it was important for hospital staff to have stable access to digital patient records on tablets and mobile phones, to be able to communicate with each other, schedule appointments and shifts, and provide patients with remote communication with relatives.

As a solution to this problem, our specialists chose the Cel-Fi QUATRA, which included two different plans for each hospital building.

For the Northwick Park hospital, UCtel used two QUATRA systems, and for the second building one hybrid solution was used, including QUATRA and a twelve-unit passive DAS. At the planning stage, the company's specialists selected the optimal locations for all system components to ensure seamless coverage at the lowest possible cost.

A few days later, patients and hospital staff were already able to actively use 4G coverage from any place inside the buildings.

You can read more about this case study in our portfolio. You can also learn about the legality of mobile signal repeaters we provide here.

Final Thoughts

Why are mobile repeaters illegal in the UK? In short, it has to do with the licence. Legal mobile repeaters exist, and they solve the problem of a weak mobile signal. Note that it’s important to entrust their installation to specialists, especially when it comes to buildings with concrete walls and other high-density building materials.

Do you want to improve your poor mobile coverage legally? Ask us! Fill out our contact form, and we will contact you as soon as possible.