Announcing weBoost Drive Reach!

It’s not often that you really see a new cell booster for vehicles. Today, weBoost breaks out from the pack with a new booster that claims to be more powerful than any other one on the market. It’s called the Drive Reach, and the best part is… it’s available now at Solid Signal. Right now. Seriously. Like, go and get it.

Here’s what weBoost says

This morning, weBoost circulated this press release:

May 21, 2019 Wilson Electronics, the industry leader in cellular boosting technology, today announced the launch of the weBoost Drive Reach, a powerful in-vehicle cellular signal booster designed to provide solid cellular connectivity in cars, trucks, vans and SUVs. Compatible with all mobile phones and most wireless carriers in North America, it allows users to enjoy strong call quality, fewer dead zones and faster data upload/download speeds while on the road.

The Drive Reach boasts uplink output power capabilities of 29.5 dBm and 50 dB gain – the maximum allowable gain under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) standards – allowing it to boost signal strength from locations over two times further away from cell signal towers than previous models. This provides users with the strongest connection and fastest data rate available in the mobile amplifier market.

“Whether you’re traveling for work or play, a strong cellular signal is crucial for both productivity and safety reasons,” said Wilson Electronics’ CEO Bruce Lancaster. “Thanks to the Drive Reach’s upgraded uplink capabilities, users will see a huge improvement in cellular connectivity and speed across all wireless carriers, providing peace of mind wherever the road takes you.”

Installation is easy

The Drive Reach also shines in its ease of installation. Its versatile mounting plate allows users to install the booster in whatever way is most convenient for them. The typical everyday user can use velcro strips to sturdily attach the booster to the carpeting of the vehicle. More advanced installers can more permanently fasten the booster to a vehicle’s side walls. Once the booster is secured, weBoost’s innovative SMB connectors provide tactile confirmation that the antenna and booster have been successfully connected.

The Drive Reach has all components needed for installation, including:

  • Powerful cellular amplifier
  • Mini magnetic antenna
  • Versatile mounting plate
  • SMB connectors
  • Power supply, including an extra port with rapid charging capabilities

How it works: The powerful exterior antenna reaches out to cell phone towers to receive a signal. The antenna then transmits this signal to the booster.The booster receives this outside signal and amplifies each of the supported frequency bands throughout the vehicle using a series of sophisticated low noise amplifiers and filters.

Priced at $499.99 and certified by the FCC, the weBoost Drive Reach is available for purchase now online.

Our take

Mobile cell boosters are limited in their output power, so in order to stand out a cell booster has to be very well engineered. The press release says the Drive Reach has best-in-class output and that doesn’t surprise me. For years, weBoost has worked with the FCC to get increased output power for their boosters and it looks like they’ve done it now for their mobile line.

It also seems that the antennas are extra sensitive and very well engineered. This should give the Drive Reach better performance than any other booster in its class.

weBoost’s mobile boosters have been my choice for years because the mounting systems are better. Their Drive Sleek mobile booster seems to be the best option for single users because it fits most phones easily and has available mounting options that don’t block a vent. Also unlike other systems, they do leave a USB port free for those people who need to charge a phone and don’t have a car full of USB ports and utility (lighter) sockets.

One addition here is that it looks like the utility (lighter) socket adapter not only gives you USB charging but has upgraded to 2.1amp. This will let you charge most modern phones at twice the speed.

We don’t have a review unit available at this time. I have seen other reviews and they don’t include true instrumented testing. Hopefully we should have something in hand shortly and when we do, I’ll give you the real story on how it performs against the previous generation weBoost products as well as other products.

“One last thing”

There’s a little more you need to know. The Drive Reach is also available in a “Fleet” version that adds an NMO mount antenna. This makes it easier to mount in a larger vehicle and gives you  better performance in a large vehicle. It’s also available now, at Solid Signal.

 

About the Author

Stuart Sweet
Stuart Sweet is the editor-in-chief of The Solid Signal Blog and a "master plumber" at Signal Group, LLC. He is the author of over 10,000 articles and longform tutorials including many posted here. Reach him by clicking on "Contact the Editor" at the bottom of this page.