How to Boost Mobile Signal in a Medical Facility?

Stable mobile communications and the Internet are very important for medical institutions. Without them, the work of the clinic can be literally paralyzed, and patients. Their relatives will not be able to receive prompt consultations and telephone assistance. Which will irreparably harm their health and hit the prestige of the institution.

That is why the questions of how to check the signal strength and boost it in medical institutions must be addressed first and foremost. It does not matter whether we are talking about a small dental office or an entire clinical centre.

Why Does a Medical Center Need High-Quality Mobile Communications And the Internet?

Voice calls between staff and normal telephone communication with patients and their relatives are just the tip of the iceberg. High-quality mobile communications and the Internet will ensure the stable operation of many functions and departments of a medical institution:

• Reception: Receiving incoming calls, informing patients, and making an appointment with a specific specialist by phone – without good communication. It is simply impossible to turn the reception into a local Call Center of the clinic. The inability to get through to the medical centre on time or constant call interruptions often become the main reasons for the outflow of patients.

• Security systems: You cannot organize remote video surveillance without high-quality mobile Internet. Which means that it is impossible to promptly monitor patients in the wards and control the general situation in the medical centre.

• Patient monitoring: Modern glucometers, tonometers, electrocardiographs, and other diagnostic equipment with high-quality Internet significantly expand. Their functionality, allowing doctors to quickly receive information about the health status and vital signs of patients.

• Telemedicine services: Remote medical care requires a stable Internet to provide high-quality medical advice. Moreover, patients evaluate telemedicine services comprehensively, and the slightest interruptions in communication. Even with highly qualified specialists, can cause negative reviews.

Everyone is interested in ensuring high-quality mobile communications and the Internet in any medical institution. The doctors themselves, patients, and their relatives.

What Is Needed to Boost Communication In a Medical Institution

Even the location of a medical organisation in the city centre is not a guarantee of stable and high-quality communication. Due to high building density, the location of institutions on the ground floors of buildings, or the distance from base stations. The quality of communication may be unsatisfactory, which will require an urgent solution to the problem.

To improve the mobile signal, it is enough to install a mobile signal amplification system, which includes the following equipment and components:

• An external antenna mounted on the roof, facade of a building, or a free-standing mast.
• A booster that converts and amplifies the signal received from an external antenna from a mobile operator and then transmits. It through internal antennas to subscriber devices.
• Internal antennas, which are installed indoors to distribute a signal improved by a booster to subscriber devices. Depending on the size of the facility, one or several internal antennas may be required.
• A radio frequency coaxial cable and connectors for connecting all elements of the system.

To achieve maximum efficiency from the operation of the amplification system, before its purchase and installation. It is necessary to consider a number of factors:

• Number of floors of the building.
• Quantity and total area of ​​the premises.
• Material and thickness of external walls and partitions.
• Quantity and type of mobile operators used.
• Architectural features of the building and the presence of restrictions. That could interfere with the installation of antennas: for example, the building may have historical value, which complicates any installation.

When all factors are taken into account, you can proceed to the selection of a mobile signal amplifier system in a medical institution.

Stages of Improving a Mobile Signal In a Medical Center

To select a communication booster kit, you must first analyze the signal strength, then select the equipment and perform the installation.

For non-professionals, this is a difficult task, fraught with many errors that reduce the efficiency of the amplifier.

To organise a truly stable mobile connection and the Internet in a medical institution, you only need to take a few steps and it is best to entrust them to professionals:

• Determine whether you need to boost voice calls, the Internet, or both at once. The decision determines what equipment we will install.
• Determine the frequency range that requires amplification. Check the strength of the signal.
• Select equipment. This will require a layout of the premises, measurement results, and an indication of the proposed location of the external antenna.
• Install the system with the help of professional installers; otherwise, you might encounter issues that could affect performance.

How Does a Booster Work?

A mobile signal booster uses an external antenna to receive a signal in a place where it is available and repeats it using an internal antenna to a place where it is not.

The booster transmits the signal in two directions:

• The downlink channel is responsible for transmitting the signal from the base station of the mobile operator to the subscriber’s phone.
• The uplink channel is responsible for transmitting the signal from the subscriber’s phone to the base station of the mobile operator.

There are smart boosters that minimise user involvement in the equipment startup process, ensuring the best connection quality and maximum protection against interference. Full advanced functionality includes:

• Automatic proportional gain control on both transmission channels (DL and UL) depends on the input signal power from the external antenna.
• Automatic shutdown of the amplifier output power occurs in the event of self-excitation of the device or an excessive input signal power level; thus, it prevents potential damage and maintains system stability.
• Automatic activation of the power saving mode and shutdown of the output power. In the UL channel (from the subscriber to the base station) if there are no active subscribers nearby. This affects the increase in the service life of the device . And the reduction of the load on the base station.

Final Thoughts

Boosting a mobile signal in a healthcare facility is a critical aspect. That affects the efficiency of medical staff and the quality of patient care. Many factors affect the quality of a mobile signal; therefore, you need a comprehensive approach to signal improvement. Installing a booster is an effective solution for boosting the mobile signal of Tesco, EE, Vodafone, and other popular British operators; moreover, it enhances connectivity across various networks. We recommend contacting UCtel, which provides high-quality services in improving mobile signals in healthcare and other facilities.