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In the UK, the use of mobile signal boosters is regulated by Ofcom. Here we have put together a list of those mobile signal booster shops to avoid and those who are genuine sellers. With a selection of websites, and a huge price variation across different booster models it’s hard to know what equipment is safe to buy. We understand it can be a bit of a mindfield, so let’s break down what makes an amp legal or illegal to buy or boost from.
What a lot of customers don’t realize is that these pieces of equipment can call themselves legal, because they pass all electric certifications. They are a fully legal piece of electrical equipment to sell, where you run into problems when you turn it on, and begin to broadcast from it. It becomes illegal to broadcast from non-Ofcom compliant amps, which happens once you turn them on, unfortunately leaving the purchaser to foot the fine or, in some extreme cases even prison time.
The original, and largest player in the last 15 years, was Mobile Repeater a company that presented themselves as a UK based company but imported wide band amplifiers from China, they sold generic dual band, triband amplifiers and claimed similar to many of today’s suppliers online to sell “Ofcom approved” mobile signal boosters. This site was eventually closed down by the actions of Trading standards and Ofcom and never reopened but not before they had sold large numbers of amplifiers to unsuspecting UK customers. This is because selling these amplifiers can be 100% legal but the person who plugs them in and broadcasts risks breaking the laws by broadcasting wide band amplifiers.
The reality now is that other similar companies have entered the space left behind by Mobile Repeater, as the profits of selling mobile boosters that are cheap to manufacture and not compliant to Ofcom can be substantial. Many of these sites have been closed down, but continue to reopen under a new name.
In order to help consumers stay safe when buying a mobile signal booster, we have created an overview of some of these online mobile booster companies that you need to be wary of. It is our opinion that they do not meet Ofcom guidelines and could leave the consumer in hot water. The rule of thumb is that if the amplifier is too cheap to be true it usually is going to be illegal to use in the UK.
Which Boosters Can I Safely Buy?
We have compiled a list below of the different brands that are legal, these include Huaptec signal boosters, a low priced alternative to illegal amplifiers. We list below many of the websites we are often asked about, and if they are legal to buy from. Our goal is to help consumers avoid potential issues with Ofcom, fines or jail time by avoiding suspicious signal booster providers. The below information is based on our opinion and experience with these companies. While we sell a range of self install signal boosters, from the Ofcom compliant Huaptec brand, some of the below websites are also safe options to purchase from.
Again it is important to understand that these sites are legally able to sell these boosters but they may be highly illegal to use in the UK as they are either broadband, have too high a power level or are simply likely to cause interference in the mobile network, which Ofcom are obliged to protect for all its uses.
Amazon: Have compliant equipment but mainly sell accessories
Amazon results will display for most Google searches but does not actually sell mobile signal boosters, what it actually sells is wi-fi boosters and mainly accessories for GSM, 4G boosters.
The majority of items on Amazon are passive, like antennas, connectors, or signal splitters which are all license exempt. These are generally legal, and do not usually actively boost mobile signal, therefore they may not be the correct type of equipment you are looking for. If you need accessories or a wifi booster, Amazon seems to have compliant equipment.
MOBILE-SIGNAL-BOOSTER UK: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
This site sells generic wide band amplifiers that are not listed on the Ofcom site as compliant. They offer cheap wide band amplifiers that are CE and RoHS compliant, which may make them legal to sell in the UK but we recommend not broadcasting these in the UK. If in doubt ask our team of experts about any particular model or ask Ofcom for a second opinion. For example the Nikrans range has never made the Ofcom list.
My Signal Boosters: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
We recommend avoiding any company that sells wide band amplifiers, among different items, in other words if an amplifier blasts a signal to all networks across one large wide band it should be avoided.
A compliant amplifier in the UK (as at 2024) must be band selective, so they broadcast at different power levels to the different networks. If an O2 base station is beside your house and the Vodafone one is 5 miles away, by sending out the same high powered “broad” signal, the amplifier is risking over-powering the nearest cell tower, which may result in Ofcom arriving with a large fine and confiscation order. The maximum power level in the UK is 17dB-, anything more powerful is against UK Ofcom guidelines.
SIGNAL BOOSTER SHOP: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
Unless you are from outside the UK, where the laws are different, we recommend you avoid it. This site contains multiple products that are legal to sell, as they meet the technical requirements, but be careful as they may not meet the guidelines set out by Ofcom, and are therefore illegal to use. For this reason, once you start to broadcast on a wide band amplifier, that does not comply, you may be technically breaking the Wireless Act which is in place in the UK, therefore breaking Ofcom guidelines to protect the spectrum. The potential penalties can be unlimited fines and up to 2 years in jail.
MYSIGNALBOOSTERS.COM: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
MOBILE BOOSTER UK: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
SAT WORLD : Ireland site – Reliable, sells amps on Ofcom compliant list
Sat World sells the Huaptec range of amplifiers, these are legal in the UK and Europe up to 10dB as they are multi-network amplifiers. The Hi-Boost range of 4G, 5G an dVoice amplifiers are legal in the UK to both buy and use. There are some models available in the EU that are not allowed in the UK as they are pre-programmed for specific regions, always check before purchase if you can buy a UK specific Huaptec amplifier from here.
SIGNAL HERO / MOBILESSIGNALBOOSTERS.CO.UK: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
Possibly traded previously as mobile signal boosters .co.uk before reopening as Signal Hero.
These have traded under signal hero only for a short period in 2024, it is believed by many that they were possibly previously known as Mobile Signal Boosters as the colours, site layout, amplifiers sold and logo are almost identical. If there was indeed a rapid change in domain name it should be enough to make you wary. We would recommend avoiding it at all costs. Be mindful that claims that amplifiers are legal may again mean they are legally able to sell, but not to turn on in the UK, if you are unsure of the advice here please check out the list from Ofcom of compliant amplifiers.
The Signal Hero website came online after Mobile Signal Boosters shut down. Mobile Signal Boosters no longer sells directly in the UK but has a very similar design, brand and products to the new website Signal Hero which started operating in 2024.
UK MOBILE BOOSTER .COM: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
Huge range of what appears to be lower quality Chinese imported amplifiers, that at a quick glance, most buyers will see are broadband amplifiers covering all networks at once and hence would be very unlikely to meet Ofcom requirements. This would leave the person broadcasting open to a potential huge fine and prison time. If you are unsure of a particular model, email our team and we can look at the specifications and give a recommendation.
MY AMPLIFIERS: Avoid as amps are missing from Ofcom compliant list
This mobile repeater company has been around for over a decade and was the main rival to the Mobile Repeaters company that was shut down by the UK authorities. They sell legally compliant electrical goods, like boosters, but again if you wish to avoid a risk of prosecution we would avoid the amplifiers on this site, or at the very least email Ofcom for confirmation on whether they are legal to broadcast from.
What are Ofcom compliant signal boosters?
Now that we’ve touched on the pitfalls to avoid, you may be wondering what repeaters are safe to buy. Ofcom compliant signal boosters are made up of smaller low powered, relatively unknown, mobile repeater amplifier manufacturers that are listed under Ofcom’s self install mobile repeaters, along with carrier grade amplifiers from manufacturers such as Nokia – Erickison – Cel-FiI – Multiboost – Stella Dorados, most of which are high grade amplifiers that are legal to use in the UK and across the world.
These companies all sell different types of commercial legal amplifiers and are allowed in the UK. We recommend you should talk to one of the professional engineers for advice on large projects who can advise which of these manufacturers would be best.
These are typically carrier grade mobile repeaters and accessories and are outside the budget of most individuals, they are more suitable for large scale buildings. Commercial amplifiers should be installed by certified trained engineers who will use high grade cellular scanners, align the aerials to the base stations and programme the amplifiers for maximum performance with Ofcom guidelines to remain legal mobile signal boosters in the UK.
Conclusion
The general advice we give to all buyers is to be buyer aware, a banner stating a system is an Ofcom compliant or a legal device matters little if the website is not following the trading standards we expect in the UK. A quick checklist of what to look for are the below
- Next Day delivery options – If a company has this then they are most likely holding the stock in the UK, and have no fear of it being confiscated by the authorities, this is a good indicator.
- Price is over £600, the cheapest legal amplifiers we are aware of for the UK are Huaptec, which start at £695 pounds so anything below £600 check them before buying.
- If they are not stocking any of the Ofcom listed boosters like; Huaptec, Cel-fi, Stella or a commercial grade amplifier like Nokia, Multiboost, Erickson, usually commercial grade amplifiers start at £10,000 each, then they may not be legal to amplifiers.
- Generic casing with no brand marking
- Offering above 17dB amplifiers for sale.
- Offering “Broadband” amplifiers
- Only certs available are CE and RoHS certified, this is what allows them to sell, as they are legal to sell electrical goods, but the buyer should be aware that broadcasting is where the issue lies.
The easiest way to be sure to buy a fully legal mobile signal boosters suitable for the UK is to contact our team at Mobile Signal Solutions, we can quickly advise if the amplifier is legal and help you to install an Ofcom compliant and legal commercial or self install mobile signal booster. As always we are here to help and can advise and guide you through the purchase of a legal UK mobile signal booster.