Mobile phone boosters

If you are thinking about buying or using a mobile booster or repeater you need to check with your mobile service provider first. Many of these devices can interfere with the wider cellular network causing dropped calls and other problems.

What is a mobile phone booster?

A booster is a device used to improve data speeds, call quality, and signal strength on your mobile device or cell phone. A mobile booster works by boosting your existing signal and rebroadcasting it. All signal boosters need approval.

Before you purchase any mobile phone booster, we recommend you get in touch with your cell phone service provider or contact us.

Why you might consider a booster

An approved booster might be a solution if your home, workplace or vehicle has poor mobile coverage. 

If you are having coverage problems with your mobile service, check with your service provider for an approved solution.

What approval is needed, and why

Some mobile boosters interfere with calls across networks and can cause drops out (calls ending before you expect them to). The interference may happen across your neighbourhood or further away, but it could also happen with cellular towers. This is why you should make sure that your mobile booster is approved.

If you use boosters that are not approved you could face legal consequences.

Take care online

Overseas web sites such as signalbooster.co.nz and mobilebooster.co.nz give the impression of being New Zealand sites, and suggest their products are approved for use in New Zealand by service providers such as:

  • Spark
  • One NZ
  • Skinny
  • 2degrees.

This may not be the case – these products may not be approved.

If you look carefully at the Conditions on these websites you may find a disclaimer that reads something like:

"Using this equipment may require a licence. It’s your own responsibility to check with the governmental authority having jurisdiction prior to use…", for example.