Bolton Technical, sole agent for Wilson Electronics brands in Africa, has announced updated WilsonPro and weBoost cellphone signal boosters to overcome the challenge of poor cellphone signal during power outages.
The news comes amid growing frustration at lost signal due to increased load-shedding, which also leads to cellphone tower battery deterioration and battery theft.
Bianca Thorburn, Director of Marketing at Bolton Technical Africa, says many South Africans are making the move to mobile connectivity and doing away with landline telephones in their office buildings and homes. Thorburn says poor cellular connectivity impacts businesses across all sectors and regions and is exacerbated by the continued load-shedding. “We have seen a steep increase in the number of clients that contact us specifically in connection with solutions for load-shedding,” she says.
“Not having strong, reliable cellular connectivity disrupts business processes. These days, businesses are expected to respond almost immediately; it is no longer considered a competitive edge to respond in real-time. If you don’t, it means you are losing out to your competitors,” she notes.
“Due to insufficient infrastructure roll-out of wired connectivity such as fibre, cellular connectivity still remains a major source, and in many cases, the primary source of connectivity throughout Africa,” she says. “In addition to requiring cellular connectivity for normal internet connectivity and calls, most point-of-sale machines require cellular signal to complete transactions. Industries that utilise machine-to-machine technology (IOT) require cellular signal too.”
She adds that in cases where a wired connectivity solution such as fibre is used as a primary connectivity method, having a strong, reliable LTE connection as a secondary or backup connectivity method is imperative for organisations and households.
In line with its mission to offer the most advanced, spectrum-rich and future proof cellular amplifiers in South Africa, Bolton Technical has unveiled new solutions to provide users with a seamless, powerful connection in even the most challenging signal environments.
The new WilsonPro and weBoost cellphone signal boosters are engineered to help those struggling to stay connected due to weak or non-existent cellular coverage, whether this is due to load-shedding or other factors such as building materials impacting signal.
Should a cell tower go down, the amplifiers’ directional antennas receive signal from an alternative tower on a grid not undergoing load-shedding, ensuring uninterrupted signal.
Thorburn explains: “Cellphone signal boosters are three-part systems that receive cellular signal, amplify the received signal and transmit the amplified signal through a broadcasting antenna. In cases of load-shedding, an antenna or multiple antennas can be set up to target cellular towers on different grids that are not being load-shed.” In urban and highly populated areas, omnidirectional antennas can also be used to automatically receive signal from towers around it at a 3km to 5km radius.
Wilson Electronics’ updated range of products for the African market have a modern, minimalist look and feel and are designed to seamlessly plug and play for consistent stronger cellular signal without any interface set-up by the end-user.
The new WilsonPro range is designed with an easy-to-mount bracket and features input and output ports on the same side of the booster to make installation easier. The updated range features sleeker looking amplifiers that provide incredible utility while fitting with any discerning home décor. The WilsonPro range is ICASA approved and improves 2G, 3G and 4G voice and data signal.
WilsonPro amplifiers work on all cellular devices and with all major South African mobile network operators. The amplifiers draw very little power (5V; 3A) and can be connected to a UPS for uninterrupted, strong signal during load-shedding. They are sold as complete, easy-to-install kits.
The weBoost Drive AM100-Pro Signal Booster for vehicles boosts 2G, 3G and 4G voice and data signal in any vehicle. Its sleek, metallic red exterior isn’t just for show: the unique fin design increases surface area to ensure peak performance, displace any excess heat and increase output performance.
Click here to view the new range of Wilson Electronics’ amplifiers.
