Orlando, Fla. — Wi-EX is bringing down the price of indoor cellular-signal boosters to $99 with the launch here of a low-power version intended for single users in small spaces and for on-the-go use in hotel rooms.
The device, called zBoost zP, is designed to lower the incidence of dropped or missed calls from interior locations where cellular signals might not be reliable. The improved coverage also extends a phone’s battery life.
The zP is available in a wired version for $99 and a wireless version for $149, less than Wi-Ex’s other higher power indoor models retailing at $299 and $399.
zP features a small base station that sits near or hangs on the window. The wireless version comes with a 20-foot cable that connects to a small indoor antenna. A cellphone’s signal will be boosted if the phone is within six to 12 feet of the indoor antenna. With the wired version, the 20-foot cable must be coupled to the phone.
The zP, like the top-end $399 zBoost, operates in both the 800MHz and 1,900MHs bands so it can be used with any U.S. carriers’ phones except Nextel-network phones. That includes phones from carriers whose networks operate in both bands and hand off voice calls from one band to another depending on signal strength. In addition, zP and zBoost work with phones from carriers that deliver voice on one band and data on another.
The zP, however, is designed for single users, whereas Wi-Ex’s other models can handle multiple calls simultaneously. In addition, zP’s indoor range is 6 feet to 12 feet, whereas the company’s high-power models amplify cellular signal strength throughout a 2,500-square-foot house.
