Reliable cellular service is no longer a nice-to-have for most businesses. Employees use their mobile phones to communicate with customers, vendors, coworkers, and emergency services, while many businesses increasingly depend on cellular connectivity for day-to-day operations.
But having strong cellular coverage in your area doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll have a strong signal inside your building. Building materials, the location of nearby cell towers, distance from a tower, network congestion, terrain, and the design of your facility can all affect indoor coverage.
Spotty service, dropped calls, slow data, and unreliable connectivity can be frustrating for employees—and can make it harder to communicate with the people your business depends on.
Fortunately, there are ways to improve cellular coverage inside your facility.
Start by Identifying the Problem
Before investing in a signal enhancement solution, determine where and when coverage problems occur.
Is the signal weak throughout the building, or only in certain areas? Does service improve near windows or on upper floors? Are particular rooms or sections of the building consistently problematic?
Building materials such as concrete, metal, energy-efficient glass, and other structural elements can weaken cellular signals as they travel into and through a building.
Understanding the source and extent of the problem can help determine which solution makes the most sense.
Improve Your Cellular Signal
Cellular signal boosters, also called cell signal repeaters, can improve indoor coverage when a usable cellular signal is available outside or near the building. A booster captures an existing cellular signal, amplifies it, and distributes the improved signal throughout designated areas of the facility.
For businesses with larger or more complex spaces, a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) can provide coverage throughout multiple areas. A DAS uses a network of antennas connected to a central system to distribute cellular service where it is needed.
The right solution depends on the size and layout of your facility, the strength of the available outside signal, the number of users, and the coverage area you need to support.
Passive Systems
Passive signal enhancement systems use components such as coaxial cable and antennas to distribute an amplified cellular signal throughout a building.
These systems can be a practical option for smaller facilities where a strong outside signal is available and coverage needs are relatively straightforward. They can also be less expensive than more complex systems.
However, passive systems can become more difficult to expand as coverage requirements increase. If your business is growing or you expect to add significant square footage, it’s important to consider future needs before selecting a system.
Active Systems
Active systems are designed for larger or more complex environments and use powered equipment to distribute cellular signals over greater distances.
They can be appropriate for large buildings, warehouses, campuses, and facilities where coverage needs to extend across multiple areas or buildings. Active systems can also provide greater flexibility when a business expects its coverage requirements to change over time.
Because these systems are more complex, professional design and installation are especially important.
Don’t Forget About Network Capacity
A signal booster can improve the strength of a cellular signal, but it cannot create cellular service where there is no usable signal to begin with. It also doesn’t increase the capacity of the carrier’s network.
If a location experiences problems because of network congestion or limited carrier capacity, a signal enhancement system may not completely resolve the issue. A professional assessment can help determine whether poor coverage, building interference, network capacity, or a combination of factors is responsible.
Build Better Coverage for Your Business
Reliable cellular coverage helps employees stay connected and helps businesses communicate without interruptions. Whether you need improved service in one portion of an office or coverage across a large facility or campus, there are solutions available.
Your Ideacom Network telecom provider can assess your facility, identify coverage challenges, and help determine the right cellular enhancement solution for your business. With the right system, you can improve indoor coverage and give your employees the reliable connectivity they need to stay connected.