How to boost a poor mobile signal in a hospital

Maintaining a strong mobile signal ensures uninterrupted and clear calls in the first place. This is especially necessary when we address healthcare institutions, their settings, impacting both staff and patients. Yes, patients depend on reliable connections to communicate with family or stay informed with medical personnel, while medical employers require efficient communication for urgent cases and timely patient treatment. A weak signal can hamper calls, emergency cases and treatment plans for patients on time. So they can’t afford to have a weak signal that prevents calls.

If your hospital’s signal is poor most of the time, it has to be improved. There are several ways of doing this. Let’s check some ways to boost a poor mobile signal in hospital according to UCtel and determine which is the best option for a hospital setting!

Causes of poor signal

Before fixing the problem, it helps if you understand what may be causing a weak signal. Many things can interrupt the signal to your phone in a hospital. Some things that cause a hospital to have poor signals include:

Building materials

The materials used to build hospitals can prevent the signal from reaching everyone. These create a barrier that weakens even the best signals. This makes it difficult to have calls or send messages within hospital premises. Things that slow down the signal include:

• Concrete
• Glass
• Insulation

Location

One of the most common reasons a hospital will experience poor signals is due to the location. Topography plays a huge role in the strength of networks. Areas that are surrounded by hills or mountains are prone to poor signals.

The same occurs if the hospital is in an area with a lot of high-rise buildings. Densely populated areas have the same difficulties as many people trying to get networks.

Cell towers

The distance of a cell tower to a building can influence the strength of the signal. As the signal is transmitted from the base station, it becomes weaker. So any buildings that are far away won’t have a strong connection.

How to boost a network

There are several ways to boost a poor mobile signal in a hospital. Here are a few ways to file this problem:

Eliminate barriers

Because natural obstacles can prevent signals, eliminating them can help to improve the network. It may work for homes that have poor networks. However, this is not always practical, especially for hospitals. Also, it is impossible to take down hills just to improve the network. 

Change the location

The location of a hospital will determine how strong the network is. In most cases, hospitals are located in the outskirts so the network is usually poor. Sometimes the network can improve if you move outside. But this is not practical as it may not be possible for medical personnel to continue moving outside during consultations.

Update settings

Sometimes improving the network on a phone is as easy as updating the settings. This usually works for individual phones but will not improve communication within a hospital. Also, it is only a temporary measure for areas in which the network is usually good.

Aside from this, you could also try to switch a phone on and off or put it in airplane mode. This is also a temporary measure. For patients that experience poor networks sometimes, keeping the battery charged may improve the connection. But it may only work for calls and not for improving an internet connection.

Use mobile booster

The best option is to use a mobile signal booster. It should be the choice when you live in an area that is prone to poor networks. It works best for hospitals that require staff to communicate with each other and patients. As the signal booster market continues to grow, numerous establishments are embracing the devices. A booster, designed to amplify weak signals, and it consists of three key parts:

• Outdoor antenna
• Amplifier
• Indoor antenna

So an outdoor antenna, an amplifier and an indoor antenna play a huge role here. The outdoor role involves capturing signals from the nearest base station or tower, typically positioned in areas with robust network coverage. It includes hospital roofs or strategic locations.

Expert assessment determines optimal placement based on network strength. After signal capture, it’s routed to the amplifier (an essential booster element) intended to enhance the strength of the weak signal.

How the booster works

When the poor signal is strengthened, it is sent from the amplifier to the internal antenna. This antenna sends it to mobile devices within the hospital. The internal antenna should also be placed in a place with the strongest network. So at the end of the day, a booster will create a strong network across the entire building ensuring everyone is connected at all times. This cycle is repeated so that there is a constant connection.

There are different types of boosters, for home and commercial uses. When we speak about wireless communication in acute healthcare, the best one for hospitals is a commercial booster that works great for both old and new solutions. This has several antennas that are placed around the building. But because needs differ, it is better to talk to an expert that can evaluate your needs. Remember that the choice of how to boost poor mobile signals in hospital will depend on the cause of the poor signal.

An advantage of using a booster is that it is easy to install. It doesn’t take a lot of time to set up. Also, there are different types which allow you to choose the right fit for your hospital. A cellular provider can help you get the right mobile booster.

Final thoughts

Hospitals need to have a good connection at all times. This allows patients to communicate with their loved ones. It is also a way for patients to keep themselves distracted from their conditions and reduce stress. Also, staff members need to discuss patient conditions among them to improve services.

A mobile signal booster improves the network in the entire hospital ensuring that communication goes at all times. It is the cheapest way to boost a poor mobile signal in a hospital. Setting up one is easier and will ensure that phone calls go on without any interruptions.