How to Boost Cell Phone Signal in Africa: Free & Paid Solutions

How to Boost Cell Phone Signal in Africa: Free & Paid Solutions

Dropped calls and poor call quality can be very frustrating, but you are not alone. According to the The World Bank and African Development Bank report there are 650 million mobile users in Africa, surpassing the number in the United States or Europe. In some African countries more people have access to a mobile phone than to clean water, a bank account or electricity.

And with the increasing number of smartphones and slow development of cell phone towers, mobile internet congestion is the new traffic jam of the modern age.

Bolton Technical has you covered, we have compiled a list of free and paid solutions to assist you with your signal problems.

Now remember cell signals are basically radio waves, the AM/FM kind. They're excellent for covering long distances, but struggle to penetrate. There are so many things that can affect cell phone signal.

Here's some examples:

All these can obstruct incoming cell phone signal. We advise you to get near a window or balcony that is elevated, since the second story of a house more likely gets better signal than the first floor as it has less building material to travel through.

Find the area with the best cell phone signal in your home

The area of your house that is closest to your cell phone tower will generally have the best signal. But how do you locate where your cell phone tower is? We will share some easy ways to do this.

The best way to find cell phone signal strength is to look at decibel (dB) reading. The bars on your phone vary from one company to another. For example, what might be 3 bars on Network provider A could be 2 bars on Network provider B. There’s no industry standard for bar readings. However, cell phone signals are radio frequencies that work in a certain range: -50 dB to -110 dB. -50 dB is great signal, full bars. -110 dB is basically a dead zone.

While you could use a dedicated signal meter for accurate results, most Android phones can show dB readings just fine. We have however seen some complications with viewing signal dB with the newer iPhone models.

To see how strong your signal is, use the following instructions to see dB reading if you own an iPhone:

To see how strong your signal is by locating the dB reading if you own an iPhone (some newer versions have this feature disabled)

1. Go into Phone Mode


2. Dial and Call *3001#12345#*


3. You'll enter Field Test Mode


4. Drag down your notifications bar and you will see your dB reading in the left-hand corner.

To see how strong your signal is by locating the dB reading if you own an Android phone:

1. Access Settings


2. The General


3. Go to About Phone


4. Network or Status


5. You should see your dB Value

Walk around your home and look for the digit closest to -50 dB. Once you do, you will have found the best area in your house for cell reception.

Avoid large crowds

Ever noticed your cell phone is slower in public places, especially at venues and crowded events? That's because cell towers are receiving too much traffic simultaneously.

If you're at a concert or sports game and everyone is trying to upload photos and videos to their social media platforms, it slows down the network drastically and won't allow you connect. The best solution is to get away from the crowd and find a less populated space meaning less competition for signal for your phone.

Keep Your Battery Fully Charged

With Smartphones being used for multiple purposes, like sending emails and watching videos, there is a lot more strain on the battery than ever before. It is recommended that you always keep your phone’s battery charged above 10%. When the battery drains below 10% most cell phones switch to battery saving mode, which can affect its performance.

Femtocell & Microcell

A femtocell (microcell or network extender) is equipment that depends on having a broadband landline internet to convert landline internet to cellular signals and vice versa.

It’s like having a personal cell phone tower.

While femtocell is the proper & broad term, each network likes to brand their own femtocell names.

These devices can be costly along with a possible monthly subscription fee on top of your landline internet bill. Also, you'll also need a minimum speed up to 10 Mbps download & 5 MB Mbps on your landline internet for it to work decently.

Use Wifi Calling

While apps like Skype and WhatsApp have been enabling internet calling for some time, most major network providers across Africa are embracing Wifi calling. Instead of using your cell phone signal, when connected to Wi-fi, your smartphone will use it to make and receive calls. iPhone users can go to settings, type “wifi calling” and the option will pop up immediately. For Android users, this feature is also available and can be found in settings.

If you have landline internet, this is a function that should definitely be used.

Cell phone signal boosters (also known as repeaters and extenders) are powerful devices that take an incoming weak signal, amplify it, and then rebroadcast the boosted signal to an area in need inside the house.

Options vary from reasonable one-room boost to multi-story building coverage, although the most popular is a home booster like the WilsonPro A500. They work on all phones and all Network providers. Cell phone amplifiers have grown in popularity the past few years as people without broadband internet depend on just their cell phone signal to connect to the internet.

As a key aspect, a strong broadband signal will enhance a strong cell phone signal, so you might want to consider selecting a Network provider that offers high-quality service. They're also pricy, but are a great investment.

Change your network provider

After trying everything, it just may be time to switch networks. Its relatively easy to change phone numbers and competition paying for you to switch carriers, it just may be the right time to make the jump and possibly get a new phone in the process.

Bolton Technical Africa

Bolton Technical is a leading provider of cell phone signal boosters, devices that amplify 4G & 3G LTE for any phone with any carrier for home, office, or car. We’ve boosted over 1,000,000 m² of signal for homes, buildings, and vehicles across America and Canada and now that same power is boosting signal across Africa.

Free consultation (ask us anything) with our expert customer support.  Emails us  or Call us today.

Reliable shipping to Major African Cities. Usually ships same day.

30-day money back guarantee. We want to make sure you're satisfied.

Our goal is simple: keep people connected. Ask us anything and we'll be glad to help.