Illegal roof aerials and signal boosters weakening mobile reception in countryside

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 has been a sharp rise in the use of such illegal equipment.

Up to 60% of the interference in mobile networks in Ireland is caused by people using illegal roof aerials and signal boosters.

ComReg said 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 are difficult to locate.

Up to 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 seven complaints last year about signal inference with two-way radio systems from services such as air-traffic control, Gardaí and the Dublin fire brigade.