Ofcom UK Tweak Makes In-Car Mobile Signal Boosters More Useful UPDATE

The UK telecoms regulator, Ofcom, has today proposed to make a “slight change” to the technical parameters allowed for licence exempt use of in-vehicle low gain mobile phone repeaters (aka – signal boosters / signal enhancers), which in theory could help to improve mobile reception inside vehicles.

Until a couple of years ago it was still considered unlawful (unless approved by a Mobile Network Operator like Three UK, O2, Vodafone or EE) for consumers to use 2G, 3G or 4G repeaters to boost and retransmit UK mobile signals, which can help to improve local mobile coverage but could also cause interference for others nearby, if not correctly managed.

Ofcom changed the rules in 2017 (here) to allow for licence exempt use of such devices, although they also imposed some strict conditions on power and frequency use in order to tackle concerns about interference. Today the regulator has proposed to relax some of those conditions in order to help make the devices more effective.

As before the regulator believes that these changes will help in-car focused boosters, albeit “without giving rise to undue interference or other adverse impacts on technical quality of service of mobile operators’ networks, other mobile users and other users of the radio spectrum.”

Ofcom Statement

Accessing the mobile network from a vehicle can be troublesome for some consumers, particularly where they are travelling at the edge of mobile network coverage. The signal penetration losses through the glass and bodywork of some modern vehicles can mean that, where the mobile phone signal is weak outdoors, it falls below a usable level once inside the vehicle. In-vehicle mobile phone repeaters, also known as signal boosters and signal enhancers, can help to mitigate the loss of the mobile signal through the car’s bodywork

The amendment has been requested by an equipment supplier of low gain mobile phone repeaters which are used in the manufacture of European cars. Having undertaken our own technical analysis, Ofcom considers it appropriate to consult on changes to increase the scope of the current exemption. The proposed changes would:

• Include the 2.6GHz Frequency-division duplex (FDD) band (2500-2570 MHz uplink, 2620-2690 MHz downlink) in the list of licence exempt frequency bands;

• Increase the maximum permitted gain:

a) to 36 dB in relevant frequency bands above 1 GHz from the existing 21 dB; and
b) to 30 dB in relevant frequency bands below 1 GHz from the existing 15 dB.

The changes also work to clarify the way we measure the maximum permitted gain by expressly including any external antenna gains.

Ofcom also conducted a technical analysis of these changes, which showed that undue interference or other adverse impacts were “unlikely.” The related consultation is now expected to remain open for feedback until 6th September 2019.

UPDATE 5th November 2019

The regulator has completed their consultation and proposed to introduce these changes from 27th January 2020.