Improve your 4G connection with aerial boosters.
Improve your 4G connection with aerial boosters.
Hello, I have an unlimited 4G plan with "3". On good days, speeds are around 2MBps when using the 4G hotspot from my phone placed near the window. This is much better than the 400kbps internet speed offered by BT, which they don’t provide here. I’m looking for ways to improve reception. I’d like a solution similar to these 4G modems but without removing my phone from it. I want to use a USB C setup, like the Sony USB dock I might already own, and enable tethering. I’m not sure if there are affordable options for antennas or signal boosters that fit your budget. Thanks in advance, James.
It could be unrelated to the main network. I received 50Mbit at home early in the morning, but experienced a wide range of outcomes throughout the day, particularly in the evening when many people stream content. Even moving nearer the mast didn’t change much. Three providers are mainly popular because they offer unlimited data plans. Their performance has steadily declined since their new unlimited contract was introduced. They claim to be rolling out 4G improvements and launching 5G next month, which should have boosted speeds—especially if heavy users switch to 5G, freeing up more 4G capacity. There’s one caveat: sometimes weak signals lock you into lower bands like Band 20. For optimal speed, aim for Band 3, but beware of being stuck on Band 20. An app such as LTE Discovery can show your current band; if it’s Band 20, you might face ongoing issues, though changing the antenna position inside the house could help.
That’s most likely HSPA+. It’s similar to 3.5G. It’s quicker than 3G but slower than LTE. I use T Mobile in the US and usually connect to HSPA when I’m too far from the signal to get 4G.
I mentioned that "according to Wikipedia." The "Standard can reach up to 168 Mbps." In my view, every wireless standard claims the world but actually delivers around 20%. If you approach these expectations, things will work out.
Based on real-world phone setups, I'm referencing actual implementations. For instance the S10 handles HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps and LTE-A (7CA) Cat20 2000/150 Mbps—definitely a plus. I don't know of any device supporting more than 42.2Mbit on 3.5G/HSPA. It makes sense that the network offering unlimited data would underperform, especially in crowded rural areas after heavy marketing pushes. In city centers I've seen speeds climb to 50Mbit thanks to carrier aggregation, but only outside. At home I've noticed drops into single digits with 2000ms latency on particularly poor days.