G500 vs G1000 Voice Booster UK 2026: £300.96 500m² vs £505.91 1000m² — Plus G1000 Voice vs C1000 4G: Which Booster Is Right for Your Commercial Property?
Two questions buyers keep asking: should I step from the G500 at £300.96 up to the G1000 at £505.91, and is the G1000 the same as the C1000? The answer to both is that they are carefully split products, and picking the wrong one wastes £500 or more.
Verdict up front: the G1000 Mobile Booster at £505.91 (model MBG1000gb) is the right call when your problem is dropped phone calls across a 700 to 1100 m² commercial or large residential building. It is a Band 8 (900 MHz) voice and SMS booster with 80 dB of gain, a 23 dBm output, a 10 dBi directional panel and a 20 m cable. It is not a 4G data booster, and it is not the same product as the C1000 at £535.00, which amplifies Band 20 at 800 MHz for mobile data.
If your building is under 550 m² and two storeys, the G500 at £300.96 does the same voice job for £204.95 less. If your building needs fast 4G data as well as clear calls, you install the G1000 and the C1000 together rather than choosing one over the other. This guide compares four products across two questions: the G1000 Voice at £505.91, the G500 at £300.96, the C1000 4G at £535.00, and the enterprise Cel-Fi QUATRA at £1500–£2500.
The single most common mistake we see is a buyer reading 1000 m² and 80 dB on both the G1000 and the C1000 and assuming they are interchangeable. They are not. The G1000 exists to stop your phone calls from dropping. The C1000 exists to stop your web pages and video calls from buffering. Spend £535.00 on the C1000 when your complaint is dropped calls and you will have fast data you did not need, and still no signal in the basement bar.
The First Question: G500 vs G1000, Two Voice Boosters on the Same Band
The G500 at £300.96 and the G1000 at £505.91 are both Band 8 (900 MHz) voice and SMS boosters. Both support O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Lebara and Lycamobile. Neither supports EE, Three, 4G data or 5G. They are the same product family at two different size classes, in the way a Transit Custom and a Transit Jumbo are both vans.
The difference is raw building scale. The G500 is rated for 500 m² at 75 dB of gain, a matched pair of 8 dBi directional panels, a 15 m coaxial cable and a 20 dBm output. The G1000 is rated for 1000 m² at 80 dB of gain, a 10 dBi directional panel on the outside, a directional indoor panel that can be expanded to a second unit, a 20 m coaxial cable and a 23 dBm output.
The £204.95 gap between them buys 500 m² of extra coverage, 5 dB of extra gain, a stronger antenna, a longer cable, 3 dB more output and the engineering headroom to carry signal across four to five storeys and into a basement. For a five or six bedroom house that is overkill. For a seven bedroom country house, a pub with letting rooms or a small office block it is essential.
What the £204.95 Upgrade Actually Delivers
Coverage doubles from 500 m² to 1000 m². Gain rises from 75 dB to 80 dB, which is roughly three times the output power for the same incoming signal. The outdoor panel moves from 8 dBi to 10 dBi, about 60% more collected signal energy. The cable moves from 15 m to 20 m, enough to route a four-storey chimney run. Output moves from 20 dBm to 23 dBm, roughly double the radiated power indoors. The noise figure improves from ≤4 dB to ≤3 dB, so the signal is cleaner. And the unit is explicitly rated for four to five storeys plus a basement rather than two.
The Second Question: G1000 Voice vs C1000 4G, Two Different Jobs at Nearly the Same Price
This is the comparison that catches people out. The G1000 at £505.91 and the C1000 at £535.00 are both 1000 m² commercial-class boosters with 80 dB of gain. The price gap is only £29.09. But they amplify different frequencies for different problems.
The G1000 amplifies Band 8 at 900 MHz. That is the 2G GSM and 3G UMTS band O2 and Vodafone use for ordinary phone calls and text messages. If you stand in your cellar and your call drops, or staff in your pub miss booking calls, the G1000 is the tool. It does nothing for data speeds.
The C1000 amplifies Band 20 at 800 MHz. That is the 4G LTE band used for mobile data across EE, O2, Vodafone and Three in rural and suburban UK. If your web pages time out, your Zoom call freezes and your email will not send indoors, the C1000 is the tool. It does nothing for ordinary circuit-switched voice calls.
The key distinction: dropped phone calls and SMS are fixed by the G1000 on 900 MHz. Slow mobile data, buffering video, WhatsApp and Zoom are fixed by the C1000 on 800 MHz. They are not variants of one booster. The G1000 is priced at £505.91 and the C1000 at £535.00; never confuse the two prices or the two bands when ordering.
Can You Install Both Together?
Yes, and this is the standard commercial solution. Because 800 MHz and 900 MHz are adjacent but distinct bands, the C1000 and the G1000 run side by side without interference when the outdoor antennas both face the mast and the indoor antennas are separated by at least 5 metres. The combined cost is £1040.91, which is still far below a Cel-Fi QUATRA at £1500 to £2500, and the pair remains Ofcom licence-exempt.
Head-to-Head Specification Table
Numbers come from manufacturer datasheets and our own lab measurements. The G1000 and the C1000 look similar on coverage and gain; read the band and output rows carefully.
| Feature | G1000 Voice £505.91 | G500 £300.96 | C1000 4G £535.00 | Cel-Fi QUATRA £1500–2500 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Product type | Voice and SMS only | Voice and SMS only | 4G LTE data booster | Enterprise DAS, voice and data |
| Frequency band | Band 8, 900 MHz, 2G / 3G voice | Band 8, 900 MHz, 2G / 3G voice | Band 20, 800 MHz, 4G LTE data | Multi-band, carrier dependent |
| Max gain | 80 dB | 75 dB | 80 dB | Up to 100 dB |
| Output power | 23 dBm | 20 dBm | 25 dBm | Up to 24 dBm per band |
| Noise figure | ≤3 dB | ≤4 dB | ≤4 dB | ≤3 dB |
| Coverage area | 1000 m² | 500 m² | 1000 m² | 2000–5000 m² |
| UKCA / CE mark | Yes | Yes | Yes | Carrier approved |
| Ofcom licence-exempt | Yes | Yes | Yes | Requires carrier agreement |
| Fixed problem | Dropped calls and SMS | Dropped calls and SMS | Slow 4G data and buffering | Both, in very large buildings |
| Supported UK networks | O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca | O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca | O2, Vodafone, EE, Three data | Single carrier per unit |
| Outdoor antenna | 10 dBi panel, 20 m coax | 8 dBi panel, 15 m coax | 10 dBi panel, 20 m coax | Donor antenna plus DAS nodes |
| Indoor antenna | Directional panel, 2nd expandable | 8 dBi directional panel | Omni panel | Multiple interior nodes |
| Power consumption | ≤20 W | ≤15 W | ≤22 W | 60 W plus nodes |
| Simultaneous users | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
The band row is the whole story. The G1000 and the G500 both fix voice on 900 MHz. The C1000 fixes data on 800 MHz. The Cel-Fi QUATRA fixes both, but only after a carrier agreement and at three to five times the price, and it is aimed at buildings over 2000 m².
Value Table: Price vs Coverage vs Gain vs Job Done
Sticker price is only useful once you match it to the problem you actually have. The table below pairs each product with the job it is built to do and the realistic five-year cost.
| Product | Price | Coverage | Gain | Job it fixes | 5-year cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G1000 Voice | £505.91 | 1000 m² | 80 dB | Dropped calls, SMS, O2/Vodafone | £530.39 |
| G500 | £300.96 | 500 m² | 75 dB | Dropped calls, smaller buildings | £319.32 |
| C1000 4G | £535.00 | 1000 m² | 80 dB | Slow 4G data, buffering, video | £561.90 |
| Cel-Fi QUATRA | £1500–2500 | 2000–5000 m² | 100 dB | Both, in very large structures | £1650–2650 |
| G1000 + C1000 pair | £1040.91 | 1000 m² both | 80 dB each | Calls and data together | £1092.29 |
The pair row is the insight most buyers miss. A G1000 plus a C1000 costs £1040.91 and covers both voice and data across 1000 m², which is less than half the price of a Cel-Fi QUATRA and does not require a carrier agreement. For a pub, a restaurant, a small office or a large home with both problems, the pair is the rational commercial choice.
Honest Pros and Cons of Each Product
| Product | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| G1000 Voice £505.91 | Pro 1: The only sub-£550 Ofcom-legal voice booster for 1000 m² and four to five storeys. Pro 2: 80 dB gain, 23 dBm output, 10 dBi panel and ≤3 dB noise figure. Pro 3: 20 m cable and expandable second indoor panel reach basements and attics. Pro 4: Unlimited simultaneous callers, ideal for pubs and offices. Pro 5: Supports the full O2 and Vodafone MVNO roster including giffgaff, Sky, Tesco, Lebara, Lyca. |
Con 1: Voice and SMS only on Band 8 900 MHz; no 4G data improvement. Con 2: Does not support EE or Three. Con 3: Will not fix buffering WhatsApp, Zoom or Teams calls, which need the C1000. Con 4: Requires 1 bar of outdoor signal and careful antenna alignment. Con 5: Overkill for buildings under 550 m². |
| G500 £300.96 | Pro 1: Same Band 8 voice technology as the G1000 at £204.95 less. Pro 2: 75 dB gain and 20 dBm output suit 400 to 550 m² homes. Pro 3: Matched 8 dBi panel pair and 15 m cable. Pro 4: Same UKCA, CE and Ofcom licence-exempt status. Pro 5: Unlimited users and the same MVNO support list. |
Con 1: Only 500 m² and roughly two storeys; leaves attics and basements weak. Con 2: 8 dBi panel and 75 dB gain collect less signal than the G1000. Con 3: 15 m cable is short for four-storey chimney runs. Con 4: Voice only, no data. Con 5: Two G500 units to cover 1000 m² cost more than one G1000. |
| C1000 4G £535.00 | Pro 1: 1000 m² 4G data coverage on Band 20 at 800 MHz. Pro 2: 80 dB gain and 25 dBm output, slightly higher than the G1000. Pro 3: Fixes slow data, buffering video and VoIP calls such as Zoom and WhatsApp. Pro 4: UKCA, CE and Ofcom licence-exempt. Pro 5: Pairs with the G1000 for full voice and data coverage. |
Con 1: Does not fix dropped ordinary phone calls on the 900 MHz voice band. Con 2: Not a voice booster, so it will not help if staff miss booking calls. Con 3: Priced £29.09 above the G1000, which confuses shoppers. Con 4: Data only, so on its own it leaves SMS and calling unboosted. Con 5: Best installed with the G1000 if you have both problems. |
| Cel-Fi QUATRA £1500–2500 | Pro 1: True enterprise DAS covering 2000 to 5000 m². Pro 2: Handles voice and multiple data bands in very large buildings. Pro 3: Up to 100 dB gain through interior nodes. Pro 4: Carrier-approved and professional installed. |
Con 1: Costs three to five times the G1000 or the G1000 plus C1000 pair. Con 2: Requires a carrier agreement and is not simply plug and play. Con 3: Single carrier per unit, so multi-operator buildings need more hardware. Con 4: 60 W plus nodes, higher running cost. Con 5: Wildly over-specified for a 1000 m² pub, restaurant or home. |
How the Pair Performed on Two Real Commercial Sites
Site 1: Cotswolds Pub, 980 m², Voice Problem Only
Pre-booster: 2 bars Vodafone by the bar, zero in the function room and the cellar. Staff were losing booking calls. No data complaint. We installed the G1000 alone: 10 dBi panel on the flat roof, 20 m cable to the booster behind the bar, indoor panel covering the function room. Result: 3 to 4 bars on all three floors and the cellar, dropped booking calls fell to zero over two weeks. The C1000 was not needed. A G500 would have left the function room on 2 bars.
Site 2: Yorkshire Small Office, 1050 m², Voice and Data Problem
Pre-booster: 1 bar outdoors, calls dropped and 4G data would not load the CRM. Ten staff relied on a landline and a separate broadband dongle. We installed the G1000 on 900 MHz for voice and the C1000 on 800 MHz for data, sharing a mast-facing outdoor antenna with a splitter. Result: 3 to 4 bars for calls on both floors, and 4G data that loaded the CRM in under two seconds. Total cost £1040.91, versus a Cel-Fi QUATRA quote of £2100 plus installation. The G500 alone could not have covered the first floor, and the C1000 alone would not have fixed the dropped calls.
Final Verdict: Which Booster for Which Commercial Property?
You Only Have Dropped Phone Calls, No Data Complaint
Buy the G1000 at £505.91 if your building is 700 m² or larger, and the G500 at £300.96 if it is under 550 m². Do not buy the C1000; it will not fix voice calls on 900 MHz.
You Only Have Slow 4G Data, No Complaint About Calls
Buy the C1000 at £535.00. It boosts Band 20 at 800 MHz for data across 1000 m². Do not buy the G1000 expecting faster data; it is voice-only.
Large Seven Plus Bedroom Home, Voice Is the Problem
Buy the G1000 at £505.91. The 1000 m² rating, 80 dB gain and 10 dBi panel cover four to five floors and a basement. The G500 at 500 m² will leave the top floor and cellar weak.
Pub, Restaurant, Hotel or Small Office, Voice Is the Problem
Buy the G1000 at £505.91. Unlimited simultaneous callers let staff and customers talk at once, and the second indoor panel reaches the function room or cellar.
You Need Both Clear Calls and Fast 4G Data
Buy the G1000 at £505.91 together with the C1000 at £535.00, totalling £1040.91. They run side by side on adjacent bands and cover voice and data across 1000 m² for less than half the price of a Cel-Fi QUATRA.
Very Large Building Over 2000 m² with Thick Concrete or Steel
Consider the Cel-Fi QUATRA at £1500–£2500. For a 1000 m² building it is overkill, but above 2000 m² the distributed antenna architecture earns its price.
Budget Is Tight and the Building Is Under 550 m²
Buy the G500 at £300.96 for voice. Stepping up to the G1000 at £505.91 only makes sense once you exceed 700 m² or add a third floor or a basement.
Our overall pick for a 1000 m² commercial voice installation in 2026: the G1000 Mobile Booster at £505.91, paired with the C1000 at £535.00 only when data is also a problem.
Get the G1000 Voice Booster for £505.91The Bottom Line: The G500 at £300.96 and the G1000 at £505.91 are both Band 8 900 MHz voice boosters for O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Lebara and Lycamobile. Step up to the G1000 when your building crosses 700 m², has three to five storeys or a basement, or trades as a pub, restaurant, hotel or office, because the extra £204.95 buys double the coverage, 5 dB more gain, a 10 dBi panel, a 20 m cable and a 23 dBm output. The C1000 at £535.00 is a different product entirely: it boosts Band 20 800 MHz 4G data, not voice. If you have both dropped calls and slow data, install the G1000 and the C1000 together for £1040.91, which covers both problems across 1000 m² for well under half the price of a Cel-Fi QUATRA. Do not buy the C1000 to fix calls, and do not buy the G1000 to fix buffering. The G1000 does voice, across 1000 square metres, for £505.91.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I buy the G500 or the G1000 for my building?
Buy the G500 at £300.96 if your building is up to 550 m² and two storeys. Buy the G1000 at £505.91 if it is 700 m² or larger, or it has three to five storeys, a basement, or a trading use such as a pub or office. The G1000 adds £204.95 for 500 m² more coverage, 5 dB more gain, a 10 dBi panel, a 20 m cable and a 23 dBm output.
What is the real difference between the G1000 and the C1000?
They are different product lines. The G1000 at £505.91 is a voice and SMS booster on Band 8 at 900 MHz, used to fix dropped calls on O2 and Vodafone. The C1000 at £535.00 is a 4G LTE data booster on Band 20 at 800 MHz, used to fix slow mobile broadband. Similar price, completely different job.
Can I install both the G1000 and the C1000 in the same building?
Yes. Because they amplify different frequency bands, the G1000 on 900 MHz and the C1000 on 800 MHz can run side by side in the same premises. You would use one outdoor antenna pointing at the mast and feed both units, or two separate outdoor antennas. This is the standard solution when a commercial building needs both clear calls and fast 4G data.
Is the C1000 at £535.00 a voice booster like the G1000?
No. The C1000 amplifies Band 20 at 800 MHz, which is used for 4G LTE data. It is not tuned for Band 8 900 MHz voice calling. If your only complaint is dropped phone calls, the C1000 will not fix that. Choose the G1000 for calls and the C1000 for data.
Why is the G1000 only £29.09 cheaper than the C1000?
The G1000 at £505.91 and the C1000 at £535.00 are both 1000 m² commercial-class boosters with 80 dB of gain, built on similar hardware. The small £29.09 gap reflects the band and antenna differences, not one being a budget version of the other. They are parallel products for parallel problems.
Do I need a Cel-Fi QUATRA for a 1000 m² commercial building?
Usually no. A Cel-Fi QUATRA costs £1500 to £2500 and is a proper distributed antenna system for buildings over 2000 m² or buildings with very thick concrete and steel structures. For a 1000 m² pub, restaurant, small office or large home, the G1000 at £505.91 covers voice calls at a third to a fifth of the price, and it is Ofcom licence-exempt.
Will the G1000 and C1000 together cause interference or oscillation?
Not when installed with proper separation. Each unit has its own automatic gain control and oscillation detection. The 900 MHz voice band and the 800 MHz data band are close but distinct, and keeping the two outdoor antennas on the same mast-facing side, with indoor antennas at least 5 metres apart, avoids feedback. UK Mobile Booster supplies guidance for combined installs.
Which booster fixes dropped WhatsApp or Zoom calls?
Voice over IP calls such as WhatsApp, Zoom and Teams run on mobile data, not on the 900 MHz voice band. The G1000 will not improve them. For smooth Zoom and WhatsApp calling indoors you need the C1000 4G data booster, or both the G1000 and C1000 together if you also struggle with ordinary phone calls.
Does the G500 at £300.96 cover the same networks as the G1000?
Yes. Both the G500 and the G1000 amplify Band 8 at 900 MHz and support the same operators: O2, Vodafone, giffgaff, Sky Mobile, Tesco Mobile, Lebara and Lycamobile. Neither supports EE or Three. The difference is coverage size, gain, antenna and output power, not the network roster.
What is the cheapest way to cover a 1000 m² building for both calls and data?
The cheapest legal route is the G1000 at £505.91 plus the C1000 at £535.00, totalling £1040.91, rather than a Cel-Fi QUATRA at £1500 to £2500. The pair is Ofcom licence-exempt, DIY installable in 60 to 90 minutes each, and covers both Band 8 voice and Band 20 4G data across the same 1000 m² footprint.
Learn More: 1000 m² Commercial Call Signal Guides
Best Call Booster for 1000 m² — UK Large-Venue Buyer's Guide
How to choose a G-series top commercial voice booster that covers a 7+ bed house, large pub or hotel without paying for 4G data.
G500 vs G1000 Voice Booster — Which Commercial Unit Fits Your Property?
Honest UK comparison: 75 dB versus 80 dB gain, 8 dBi versus 10 dBi panels, 500 m² versus 1000 m² coverage, £300 versus £505.
How to Improve Calls Across a 1000 m² Commercial Premises — UK Step by Step
Fascia panel placement, 20 m coax routing, deep basement and multi-floor coverage, and DIY install for large homes and venues.
O2 & Vodafone 1000 m² Commercial Call Booster — Band 8 MVNO List
Which O2 / Vodafone MVNOs the G1000 covers, and why EE and Three customers need a different voice or data unit.
