One point is not clear to me: Does the effectiveness of this device depend upon having a strong signal somewhere in the house where the base station is kept? If so, it would seem that this strong signal is then relayed throughout the house.

Or, will the device actually help even if one lives in an area where the signal is essentially a weak one?

Chuck: You are correct. This phone system requires a adequate/strong cell signal somewhere in your house or office. Place your cell phone and the phone system base where you have a strong signal. Then, the phone will talk to the base using your phone’s bluetooth, and the base will talk to the handsets around your house using Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommunications (DECT) frequencies.