Rural mobile phone reception weakened by rise in illegal roof aerials

 

Rural mobile phone reception is being weakened by the rise in illegal roof aerials and signal boosters.
A new ComReg report has revealed that there’s been a sharp rise in the use of such illegal equipment.
60 per cent of the interference in mobile networks in Ireland is caused by people using illegal roof aerials and signal boosters.
ComReg says the disruption to the network is even threatening emergency services who use radios to communicate.
The Irish Independent reports that there is a greater use of the devices in rural areas, and that they’re difficult to locate.
283 illegal mobile phone boosters, wifi repeaters, GPS trackers, radar detectors and signal jammers were seized by customs at postal centres in the last 12 months.
ComReg received 7 complaints last year about signal inference with two-way radio systems from services such air-traffic control, Gardai and the Dublin fire brigade.