Is your mobile phone signal booster legal?

Powertec, Australian distributor of the Nextivity Cel-Fi ‘smart repeater’, has warned consumers about purchasing signal boosters online, claiming that they are most likely not approved for use on local networks.

Powertec initially indicated that the Cel-Fi device had been approved by the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA). This published information has since been modified, as the ACMA does not approve such devices, but enforces the relevant law (in this case the Radiocommunications Act) where ‘unlicensed’ devices are operated.

According to the ACMA website, “Under the Radiocommunications Act 1992, significant penalties may apply. For example, operating an unlicensed radiocommunications device may result in a fine of $165,000 or two years imprisonment.”

Powertec asserts that the Nextivity Cel-Fi unit has been approved by all major carriers for connection to their networks.

The Cel-Fi smart repeater can boost a weak signal (one bar) up to five bars. The device comprises two units (each ~20 cm tall), a ‘window’ unit and a ‘coverage’ unit. The window unit ‘grabs’ the 3G signal from outside, and the coverage unit boosts and rebroadcasts it inside. In weak signal areas, an external antenna can be fitted.

The unit uses patented next-generation technology and is the only 3G repeater approved for use on networks in Australia, because it features in-built network protection. Other repeating devices can cause major network interference and have therefore not been approved, the distributor claims.