Mobile Signal Monitoring
Continuous, 24/7 proof that your indoor coverage works on all UK mobile networks, with real test calls and instant alerts.
Know your indoor mobile signal is working – every hour, on every network
A mobile signal booster or DAS is tested on the day it is installed. After that, nobody checks until people start complaining about dropped calls. UCtel Mobile Signal Monitoring puts a small monitor inside your building that tests all UK mobile networks around the clock, makes real test calls, and tells us the moment something slips.
- All UK mobile networks
- 24/7, unattended
- Real test calls, not just signal bars
- No Wi-Fi or IT network needed
Signal bars don’t prove that calls work
Indoor coverage changes without anyone touching your system. Operators re-plan their masts, the outside cell your booster relies on changes, equipment gets unplugged during an office move, or a busy lunchtime fills the network. Phones still show bars, but calls break up and drop.
Monitoring measures what a person’s phone actually gets, where people actually work, and turns it into a simple answer for each network: healthy, degraded or critical.
- Spot problems before users do. Incidents are raised automatically when signal, speed or call quality falls below target.
- Evidence, not opinions. Months of measurements show exactly when and on which network the problem happens.
- Fewer wasted site visits. Our engineers can investigate many faults remotely before anyone goes to site.
- Proof for landlords, tenants and operators that the in-building system does its job.
The UCtel Signal Monitor
A compact desktop unit, about 20 × 10 cm, that sits quietly on a desk, shelf or cabinet. Once it is plugged in, nobody on site needs to touch it.
- Every UK mobile network from one unit. No SIM swaps, no extra boxes.
- Just plug it in. It needs a standard power socket and nothing else: no Wi-Fi, no network port, no IT approval.
- Survives power cuts. It restarts by itself when power returns, and we are alerted if it is unplugged.
- Keeps measuring offline. Results are stored and uploaded as soon as it reconnects.
- Secure and tamper-resistant, in a case that does not block signal.
“My phone never works at my desk”
Because the monitor is portable, it can go wherever the problem is. When someone says calls drop at their desk, in a meeting room or on the warehouse floor, the monitor is moved there and plugged in.
Within minutes we see what their phone sees. After a few days you have hard evidence of whether the problem is real, which networks it affects and at what times of day. That tells you whether the fix is a booster adjustment, an extra antenna or a conversation with the operator.
Settle complaints with data
No more guessing whether it is the phone, the person, the building or the network. Move the monitor, wait a few days, then look at the results together.
Built around one question: will calls work here?
One monitor checks every UK mobile network in turn, all day and all night.
Signal, day and night
Signal strength is measured every couple of minutes, 24 hours a day.
Upload and download speed
Speed tests on each network in the busy hours of the working day. Upload is shown first because it is usually what breaks calls.
Real test calls
A daily test call on each network at lunchtime, the busiest time, plus extra calls whenever signal or speed drops. Audio is checked in both directions, along with call set-up, packet loss and jitter.
Serving cell stability
Which cell each network is using and when it changes. A change is often the first sign that an operator has altered something outside.
One health score per network, and the detail behind it
Results go to UCtel’s online portal, where every site gets a health score for each network, weighted towards voice. The targets are clear: by default, signal of −107 dBm or better and more than 0.5 Mbps up and down. Targets can be changed for each account.
- Overview of every site, with the worst first.
- “When are calls at risk?” A view by weekday and time of day that shows patterns, not just averages.
- Incidents with a start, an end and a plain-English description.
- Monthly service report for each site, ready to print or save as PDF.
Last 24 hours
Illustrative example. Figures are not from a real site.
From site visit to monthly report
Place
We agree where the monitor goes: inside the covered area, where people actually use their phones.
Plug in
It sits on a desk or shelf and plugs into a standard socket. It sends results over its own mobile connection, so your IT team doesn’t need to do anything.
Monitor
It tests every network around the clock, runs speed tests at busy hours and makes test calls, with no one on site.
Act
When a target is missed, an incident is raised. UCtel engineers investigate remotely first and send someone to site only if they need to. If the problem is in one spot, we simply move the monitor there.
A survey is a snapshot. Monitoring is the whole film.
We still survey every building before we design a solution. Monitoring comes after that, or tells you whether you need a solution at all.
| One-off signal survey | Continuous monitoring | |
|---|---|---|
| When | One visit, a few hours | 24/7, every day |
| Busy-hour problems | Only if the visit happens to catch them | Tested every working day at peak times |
| Calls | Spot checks by the engineer | Automatic test calls with audio and packet-level checks |
| Changes by operators | Not visible after the visit | Seen as soon as the serving cell or performance changes |
| User complaints | A return visit is needed | Move the monitor to the spot and see the results within minutes |
| Best for | Designing a new booster or DAS | Proving it keeps working, and finding out when it doesn’t |
For anyone who relies on indoor coverage
Businesses and facilities teams
Know your booster or DAS still covers every network, and have the evidence when a tenant or department says it doesn’t.
Hospitals, schools and public buildings
Where a dropped call matters, check coverage continuously instead of waiting for complaints.
Mobile operators
Independent, per-site proof of indoor coverage and voice quality across many sites, all in one portal.
DAS and booster installers
Show customers that your system keeps performing, and catch faults before the support call.
Frequently asked questions
Does the monitor need our Wi-Fi or IT network?
No. It sends results over its own mobile connection, so it never touches your network and needs no firewall changes. It only needs a power socket.
Which networks does it test?
All UK mobile networks, from a single unit. That includes customers of providers such as Tesco Mobile, giffgaff, Sky Mobile and BT Mobile, which run on the main networks.
Someone says their phone doesn’t work in one spot. Can it check that?
Yes. The monitor is a portable desktop unit, so it can be moved to that person’s desk or room and plugged in. Within minutes you see what their phone gets, and within a few days you know exactly when and on which networks it fails.
Do we need a UCtel booster to use it?
No. It works alongside any booster or DAS, and with none at all. Monitoring a building before you invest is a good way to find out exactly which networks are failing, and when.
Does it listen to our calls or collect personal data?
No. The monitor only measures its own connections. Test calls go to a dedicated UCtel test line, and no staff or visitor traffic is captured.
What happens if there is a power cut or the network goes down?
The monitor restarts by itself when power returns. If it cannot connect, it keeps measuring, stores the results and uploads them when the connection is back, so gaps in coverage are recorded rather than lost.
Can it be wall-mounted or used outdoors?
The monitor is a free-standing desktop unit for indoor use. It sits on a desk, shelf or cabinet in offices, hospitals, warehouses and other covered spaces.
How many monitors does a building need?
Usually one per site, placed where coverage matters most. Large or multi-floor buildings may need more. We will recommend where to put them, usually based on a survey.
How much does it cost?
Monitoring is provided as an ongoing service. Get in touch and we will put together a quote for your buildings.
Find out how your signal really performs
Tell us about your building and we will recommend where to place a monitor and what you will see in the first month.