Boosting Reception

Taking advantage of subscribers' quest for better reception, companies such as Cellular-Battery.com and CellPhoneSolutions.com are marketing antenna boosters. In a sample of five Internet ads (see Web-site references below), prices ranged from $9.50 to $29.95. Can these boosters improve coverage? And do carriers recommend them?

Cingular Wireless

Total Hold Time: 1 minute

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CSR: Thanks for calling Cingular Wireless. This is (name).

WR: I'm considering using an antenna booster to get better reception on my phone. Do you recommend those?

CSR: I would call a Cingular store in your area. I don't really know much about the equipment.

WR calls a Cingular store in the Midwest and asks for customer service. After 2 minutes, a CSR answers.

CSR: Cingular. This is (name).

WR: I called your regular customer-service line earlier, and they told me to call a retail outlet. I'm trying to find out if I can get better reception using an antenna booster.

CSR: This is the billing department. I don't have that kind of information.

WR: I called the store …

CSR: I'm sorry. I apologize that the store gave you the runaround like that. This is Lubbock, TX, and I really feel sad that they did that. I'll see what kind of information I have here to give you. OK?

WR: OK.

WR goes on hold for 4 minutes.

Tech: Hi. I'm a technician. I believe that you want to know more about the antennas that we likely offer.

WR: Yes, antenna boosters.

Tech: There are two different ones. What kind of phone do you have?

WR: I think it's a Nokia.

Tech: You can get a power-booster style that you go ahead and plug into your phone. (Technicians) will put an antenna on the roof of your vehicle.

WR: I see boosters advertised on the Internet that you actually install on the back of your phone.

Tech: That's correct. There are two different types. What you have to do is take your phone to one of our Cingular service centers. They'll take your phone apart, take out the stock (antenna) and replace it with a different antenna.

WR: Is there any increased radiation level with boosters?

Tech: No. Basically, they're tested by the FCC.

Dobson Cellular

Total Hold Time: 2 minutes

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CSR: Thank you for calling. This is (name). May I help you?

WR: Would an antenna booster help get better reception on my phone?

CSR: Those usually do help to get a lot better reception on the phone.

WR: Is there any particular type that's better? Some mount on the side of the phones. Some of them mount on the back.

CSR: Well, you'd actually need to call the local store. I'm in the billing department. We don't actually sell the antennas here, nor do we have them.

Centennial Wireless

Total Hold Time: 2 minutes

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CSR: Thank you for calling Centennial Wireless. My name is (name).

WR: Can I get better reception on my phone by using an antenna booster?

CSR: Yes. In most areas, the antenna works great. There are certain phones that, even with the antenna, don't get quite as strong a reception as others. For instance, Nokia and Ericsson are two of the weaker phones, but their extendable antennas work great. I would contact the local office, and they can tell you which (antenna) would work best in your area.

WR: Can the booster harm the phone?

CSR: They may want to do a good tune-up on the phone. If that doesn't work, for most of the phones there will be an extendable antenna.

WR: Will adding the antenna booster expose me to more radiation from the phone?

CSR: No. There have been studies on that. You have to be on the phone for almost 24 hours a day every day to have any kind of harm. Actually, the extendable antenna helps because the radiation doesn't come as close to your head as without the antenna.

To see Internet advertisements for antenna boosters, visit:

• cellular-battery.com/cool/antenna_booster.htm

• cellphones-accessories.com/ancelphonan.html

• cellphones-accessories.com/antennabooster.html

• www.mobile-audio.net/antenna_booster.htm

• www.usaone2000.com