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Reliable cell phone reception has become essential for all kinds of activities at home and in the office. With BYOD policies now being the norm in most companies, it is not uncommon for individuals to use their smartphones to perform critical business functions, such as work calls, emails, enterprise apps, and two-factor authentication.

Equally important, if not more so, is the need for consistent and seamless cellular connectivity to ensure public safety and security. In an emergency, every second is crucial. People must have immediate access to first responders and emergency personnel, as well as the ability to communicate with their loved ones.

Although nationwide cell coverage continues to improve, there are still a surprising number of areas where cell signal is poor or even non-existent—also known as “dead zones.” When the cellular signal is poor inside a building, it can make critical communications difficult or impossible—impeding the vital connections that first responders, those in charge of building safety, building occupants, and the general public need to communicate in an emergency situation.

DAS Solutions for Enhanced First Responder Communication in Commercial Properties

There are countless buildings that lack adequate cell service because they were constructed decades ago—with no knowledge of what the future needs for connectivity would be.

Common building materials such as steel, concrete and brick, are known to impede cell signal and present obvious challenges when it comes to cellular connectivity, so there are still too many schools, healthcare facilities, office buildings, apartment complexes, and other structures that struggle with this problem.

An effective way to remedy this situation is to install a DAS (Distributed Antenna System) to boost in-building connectivity, increasing coverage across all bands. That way, anyone who needs to communicate by mobile phone can be sure they have access to reliable cellular connectivity in an emergency. 

Planning Your DAS Installation 

In order to select the best in-building cellular solution to meet your needs and to keep your building and tenants safe, you’ll need to determine the amount of space in which cell signal needs to be improved. Whether it is a large commercial space or a smaller business or residential area, there are cell signal amplification solutions designed to handle it.

Depending on the type of space and the building materials, you may have strong signal in some areas and only need amplification in certain areas, such as a basement or parking garage, for example.  

While some repeater solutions require hard-wired installation of cabling throughout an entire building, others solutions are less invasive and can be installed on an as-needed basis: to improve signal throughout an entire building or only in specific zones where coverage is lacking.

This zonal approach is made possible by passive DAS technology, which uses a series of antennas that can be placed exactly where they are needed. These antennas amplify existing strong signals by as much as 32 times.

Passive DAS technology is also carrier-agnostic, which means that all signals can be effectively amplified for all public and emergency responders, regardless of their cellular provider.

The Importance of a Site Survey

In order to determine your current signal strength and identify the areas where the signal needs to be boosted, you’ll need to conduct a site survey.

This will help you accurately determine the source of the strongest cell signal, and identify the areas inside the building with the strongest and weakest signals. This will help inform decisions about the best installation points for outdoor and indoor antennas.

It’s advisable to work with a professional to measure areas of strong and weak signal throughout your building. Although it’s possible to check cell signal strength yourself using the field test mode on a cell phone, this isn’t the most reliable way to perform a site survey. Cell phone data isn’t always precise and you don’t want to leave anything to chance when it comes to public safety.

A professional will use a signal meter, which is a handheld device that detects and displays signal frequency, bandwidth, and strength with total certainty.

Signal meters can test for any carrier to make sure you get a signal that will work for anyone, no matter what carrier network they’re using. This is critical in a large commercial setting where people may be using Verizon, T-Mobile, AT&T, US Cellular or any other carrier.

DAS for Enhanced Safety Is a Must

There’s no question that investing in DAS technology saves lives. It helps ensure the occupants of your building are as safe as possible and offers peace of mind that first responders can do their jobs to the best of their abilities when and where they’re needed most—without dead zones getting in the way.

WilsonPro DAS solutions can be installed indoors as well as in emergency vehicles to promote secure, accurate communications and faster reaction times, resulting in safer operations and efficient and timely public service.

If you’d like to learn more about how WilsonPro can help you design and install a cellular amplification solution to improve public safety in your location, contact us today.