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Boosting Cell Phone Signals in Strange Places?

Posted by Cliff on from the places-like-my-basement dept.

hedgemage asks: "I work at a retirement home and we have trouble with the cell phones that our nursing and maintenance staff use. The problem is that our nursing home area is built into a lower level that was originally constructed as a fallout shelter in 1960. There's a lot of solid concrete in the walls and ceiling. We have paid out tens of thousands to try and get an on-site mobile to work using NEC Dterm PSII phones, but they have proven absolutely unreliable (not just in the bomb shelter but throughout the campus) and the only solution our telecom provider has is to install several thousand dollars more in transceivers. If we could use ordinary cell phones, it would be ideal for everyone. Is there an off-the-shelf solution that could boost regular cellular signals in our bomb shelter?"

3 of 40 comments (clear)

  1. wifi phones by oohshiny · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Just use wifi phones and put wifi repeaters on the campus.

  2. Re:Here's a solution by artifex2004 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Propose management to relocate the retirement home to a nicer place with, for example, windows and sunlight. Jesus man, who the hell make older folks live in a former fallout shelter? It's really sad. Tell me where it is so I know never to send my mother there...


    What, you weren't planning on visiting the facility to which you'll send your mother, first? :)

  3. hmm..... by thatshortkid · · Score: 4, Funny

    Ask Slashdot: Boosting Cell Phone Signals in Strange Places?

    What, like the back of a Volkswagen?

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