Multiboost Gain Ofcom UK Approval for Indoor Mobile Signal Boosters
Consumers may like to know that Ofcom’s earlier move to soften their requirements for licence exempt indoor or in-vehicle “mobile phone repeaters” (here) is starting to bear fruit. Multiboost has just announced that their ‘PRO’ kit is now fully compliant with the regulator’s standards, which means more choice for homes and businesses.
Just to recap. Since 2018 it’s been possible for people to use repeaters that boost and retransmit UK mobile signals, which can help to improve local mobile coverage, provided they follow the rules and don’t cause undue interference, or other adverse effects, for nearby customers. Devices like this simply work to boost an existing mobile signal – handy if you live in an area where fixed broadband doesn’t exist (boats, camper vans etc.).
However, one of the problems with this is the lack of choice, with only the odd brand or so (e.g. CEL-FI) having secured Ofcom compliance and the kit can also be very expensive (cheaper non-compliant kit can also be found, but for obvious reasons you should avoid that!). Introducing extra choice into such a market can help to improve the situation, and that seems to be what Multiboost has just done.
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The development confirms that the Multiboost PRO series is now “the first 100% European, professional-grade, fully digital multi-operator repeaters in the British market“, which they also claim sets a “new standard for reliability, efficiency, and installer confidence“.
Hans Delabie, UK Business Development Manager at Multiboost, told ISPreview:
“For the first time, UK installers and end-users have a genuine choice. Until now, installers had limited options and had to choose between lower-quality analog repeaters or complex digital solutions. Multiboost changes the game by offering a compact, versatile, and easy-to-install solution, that simplifies installation by providing a single multi-operator repeater to cover all 4 MNO’s.
This advancement simplifies installations, reduces costs, and enhances service reliability—cementing Multiboost as a trusted partner for installers looking to deliver cutting-edge solutions in a demanding market.
Compliance with Ofcom’s VTS 2102 reinforces Multiboost’s commitment to quality and innovation. It is also a recognition of the high standards we uphold and a significant step in reshaping the repeater landscape across Europe. For installers, it means peace of mind. For end-users, it means better indoor connectivity, everywhere.”
The announcement includes some extra detail on the specific hardware that’s being made available, although at the time of writing we haven’t found any retail prices or outlets for these.
Extract from the announcement
The Multiboost PRO UK series incorporates advanced digital filtering, offering seamless support for GSM, UMTS, LTE, and NR technologies across sub-3 GHz frequency bands. These devices come equipped with features like smart self-regulation, safety shutdown, and robust remote management capabilities—including real-time monitoring and software updates.
Key products in the line include:
· Multiboost PRO UK MB1053NS1D03: 5 bands / 15 sub-bands
· Multiboost PRO Triple UK MB1353NS1D03: 3 bands / 12 sub-bands
· Multiboost PRO Dual UK MB1253NS1D03: 2 bands / 8 sub-bands
Each product meets the stringent standards set by Ofcom, as well as RED 2014/53/EU and UKCA. Importantly, these repeaters are license-exempt, ensuring they operate without interference to network operators while providing unmatched signal quality.
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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I was hoping it will be using ethernet to get the operator signal not external antennas… In the past O2 had something like this and it was using ethernet. Still someone might find this helpful.
To be fair most phones & most networks are capable of Voice Over WiFi anyway so if you have a fixed line broadband it would be it would be the preferred option anyway.
wifi calling mostly made femtocells (which is what those boxes were) obsolete.
boosters like this are far more useful for premises that don’t have (or don’t need) an existing internet connection. zero ongoing running costs except electricity.
femtocells also required a significant amount of infrastructure within the operator’s network, whereas this does not.
“Multi band – All bands sub 3 GHz”.
am I missing something here, doesn’t that cut off many 5G bands since say N78 and others are over 3GHz?
they want you to request a specifications sheet though but yeah are there other bands they just don’t list on the website? odd