CHECK IT’S SUITABLE

ComReg lists four approved manufacturers of mobile repeaters on its website – Coiler, Nextivity, Smoothtalker and StellaDoradus.

Coiler is based in Taiwan, the second has a UK number but a website that is US-oriented.

The third, SmoothTalker, is in Canada. I rang all three. The Nextivity UK number listed on the ComReg site was answered by a receptionist who said she would get someone to ring me back but they hadn’t done so as we went to press.

The Coiler number rang out. Then I checked. Taiwan is eight hours ahead, which isn’t very convenient for Irish consumers.

SmoothTalker is in Canada and only a few hours behind us, so I got talking to a very helpful operative there who lived up to the company’s name.

He quoted $1,121 Canadian dollars (€750) plus extra VAT and shipment costs for a voice and data repeater, which he said was suitable for the European market.

However, there are disadvantages to buying hefty pieces of kit from outside the EU.

European consumer protection laws do not apply. Shipping and VAT will be added to the price. If you want to return it, you may have to pay shipment both ways.

When I put it to ComReg that some North American and Chinese products made by companies on its list may not suit Irish networks, it directed me to a statement on its website.

This said: ‘Many of these companies are international companies and sell devices with different specifications in other countries. Please check with the manufacturer which of its devices are compliant with Irish law.’