THOUSANDS of rural Australians that rely on phone signal boosters might find themselves without phone service if they don't check their antennas and booster settings before the 3G network closure on 28 October.

The warning was issued recently by connectivity company Zetifi, based at Wagga Wagga in New South Wales.

An estimated three hundred thousand Australians rely on signal repeater devices, or boosters, to extend and improve phone coverage while travelling on regional and remote roads.

While upgrading phone handsets has received the most attention in the leadup to the 3G shutdown, it's important that users of boosters know that they may also need to update their booster settings to 4G, and check that their current antenna is compatible with the frequencies used by the 4G network, Zetifi says.

Zetifi's chief executive officer, Dan Winson, explained: "Signal boosters are relied on more than almost any other device to improve phone coverage as people travel around rural Australia. They're a vital tool for regional businesses and other rural residents to stay safe and productive by being able to make and receive calls in more places.

"Most people don't give these devices much thought once they've been installed but it's vital that people realise that the 3G shutdown has some consequences for their booster setup."

All signal repeater devices that have been legally sold in Australia, manufactured by United States company Nextivity and marketed as the CEL-FI and Telstra GO Repeater, are capable of boosting 4G once users change their settings to select 4G via the CEL-FI WAVE app. Unfortunately, the same may not be true for the external antennas that provide the signal to these units.

"Up until recently, it was very common for people to lock their devices to boost 3G and as a result, many of the antennas sold with these units were optimised to the frequencies of the 3G network, as boosting 4G was an afterthought," Winson said.

"It's difficult to estimate how many people could be impacted so our key message is that if you purchased your antenna more than a couple of years ago and you suddenly have less coverage come 29 October, don't rush to blame the telcos and the 3G shutdown, as it might be that your antenna isn't capable of receiving 4G.

"Everyone with a booster should be checking their vehicle antenna specifications ahead of time and updating their booster settings and antenna if they need to."

In April Zetifi unveiled a new Cellular (4G/5G) Smart Antenna that is the world's first powered vehicle antenna that can automatically switch between high and low gain modes. The antenna provides a stronger signal for phone boosters and other cellular-enabled devices by ensuring that the antenna's gain is always optimised for the surrounding terrain, without users having to manually change the antenna whip as they travel between flat and hilly areas.

For more details, visit https://zetifi.com/smartantennas