Development of a 4G Radio Frequency Signal Booster for Improved Mobile Communication Coverage

Abstract

The construction of high rise building or the distance between mobile station and base station causes signal strength losses on mobile devices. This signal loss always led to wireless communication problems, therefore the need for a booster at the receiver. This article presents the development of a 4G Radio Frequency (RF) signal booster prototype aimed at improving indoor mobile network performance. The initial signal strength surveys for GLO and MTN networks between frequency bands of1800 MHz and 2100 MHz was first conducted with an Agilent FieldFox N9912A RF Analyzer. A 4G dual-component signal booster prototype was proposed, consisting of an indoor and outdoor antenna fabricated with aluminum elements and coaxial cable, coupled with a RF amplification module utilizing BFR93A transistors, ceramic capacitors, and resistors. This work compared the initial and the obtained signal strength from the proposed booster for GLO and MTN. The result shows an enhancement in the received signal strength measurement ranging from 2 dBm to 4 dBm approximately with a reduced uplink average gain of 1.2 dBm. This signal booster can be employed in mobile users to improve network qualities and coverage for better user service experience.