In today’s connection reliant world, ensuring optimal indoor connectivity in large buildings is not just a luxury; it’s a necessity. However, achieving this can be both complex and costly, especially when dealing with single-operator solutions in a world of multiple operators.
But what are the challenges and costs associated with these solutions? And what is a cost effective, reliable and high performing alternative?
Let’s delve into the solutions that deliver the most affordable comprehensive building indoor connectivity
If we take a typical modern office building, DAS certainly has a key role to play in connectivity.
So too does WAVETHRU by AGC. When combined both solutions provide powerful reach – cost effectively.
DAS improves indoor wireless connectivity with its:
- Enhanced Coverage: DAS extends wireless coverage throughout large buildings or areas with poor signal reception, ensuring reliable indoor connectivity for occupants across all areas.
- Improved Signal Quality: By distributing antennas strategically, DAS enhances signal strength and minimizes interference, resulting in clearer voice calls and faster data speeds for users.
- Scalability: DAS infrastructure can be easily scaled to accommodate growing user demands or changes in building layout, making it suitable for both small and large-scale deployments. However, the system often needs to be configured and adapted depending on the operator’s requirements.
- Reliability: DAS systems are designed with redundancy and failover mechanisms, ensuring uninterrupted connectivity even in the event of equipment failure or network congestion.
- Regulatory Compliance: DAS installations comply with regulatory standards for signal amplification and emissions, ensuring legal compliance and minimizing interference with neighboring systems.
There is, however, one major drawback to using DAS: Although the systems are designed to support multiple mobile network operators at once, in reality, operators often do not collaborate. As a result, tenants have to invest in additional DAS systems to achieve complete operator coverage.
WAVETHRU delivers indoor connectivity
The revolutionary WAVETHRU from WAVE by AGC improves the transmission of radio frequencies with a laser glass surface treatment. This innovative and seamless technology enhances mobile connectivity without the need for mobile boosters. WAVETHRU is easy to install, requires no maintenance, and is compatible with all mobile network operators and technologies, including 5G. It offers:
Simplicity: WAVETHRU does away with the need for multiple DAS, radios, and the associated maintenance and energy costs when installed close to window areas.
Cost-Effectiveness: With a one-time cost significantly lower than the combined expenses of single-operator solutions, WAVETHRU offers immense savings.
Ease of Installation: Without the need for operator-specific antennas and the associated authorizations, WAVETHRU simplifies the legal and operational hurdles of setting up building-wide connectivity.
Future-Proof: As a solution that’s easy to implement and scale, WAVETHRU ensures that buildings are prepared to meet the indoor connectivity demands of tomorrow.
WAVETHRU is the ideal alternative to any DAS system for any area located within 10 to 15 meters from the windows. Its ease of use — with no energy costs, no antennas, and no maintenance — presents a liberating contrast to the cumbersome and expensive setups currently in place. But in larger modern building, both technologies are necessary (connectivity is generally provided via WIFI and the cellular network) and complement each other to meet the needs of occupants (speed, latency, accessibility, capacity, security, etc.).
In conclusion, WAVETHRU compliments DAS to deliver added value and enable especially effective combinations. It provides customized solutions that meet specific building requirements, such as cost-effective indoor coverage, or specialized connectivity needs. It also compliments building design, delivers connectivity where it is really needed, optimizes costs, enables scalability, and future-proofs operations, allowing buildings to adapt to evolving connectivity standards and user expectations over time.
The cost of your indoor connectivity
Let’s look a 5,000 sqm building aiming for seamless connectivity which is well insulated and usually impervious to waves, and in which we want to have mobile network coverage for three operators.
OPTION 1 : 100% DAS with the active DAS connected to the operator(s)’ optical fiber
The traditional route involves a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) : a network of antennas and cables from different operators. The cost of a DAS can reach up to €80,000 *(according to 2024 figures).
Then, there are the connected radios connecting the operator’s optical fiber network (covering 2G, 3G, 4G, etc.) by bridging frequencies from 800 to 3500 MHz. At least three are needed starting at €30,000 each. Alternative solutions such as repeaters might be cheaper, starting at €12,000, but they can fail when the external network is congested.
Adding to the setup costs are the operator charges of €20,000 per operator, and the not-to-be-ignored energy costs, with each radio consuming about 18000 kwh/year annually, translating to approximately €18,000 in energy costs alone.
So, in this case, the initial costs breakdown is as follows:
- One DAS totaling €80,000.
- Nine radios costing €180,000.
- Operator setup fees of €60,000.
- Energy charges up to €18,000 (and recur every year).
- Maintenance costs, though variable, are an additional financial burden.
The total? An astonishing €338,000 for the first year, with at least €18,000 in energy costs every subsequent year.
OPTION 2 : A DAS linked to a repeater which picks up an external signal
In this case, the initial costs breakdown is as follows:
- One DAS totaling €80,000
- Broadband amplifier converting the external signal and feeding it back into the DAS – €20,000
- Maintenance – €5,000
- Energy consumption – €6,000/year
OPTION 3 : DAS combined with WAVETHRU
- One DAS totaling €80,000
- Installation of WAVETHRU on all windows of the building: €70,000
It should also be noted that all active and passive DAS solutions require the operator’s authorization. This is because the antennas installed in the building emit in the spectrum of the operator that has purchased the licenses. This adds another layer of complexity.
Fig 1. Comparison of available solutions for indoor connectivity in a 5,000 sqm building which is well insulated and usually impervious to waves.
* WAVETHRU can be combined with a Repeater for underground.
In conclusion, while the quest for optimal connectivity in large buildings presents numerous financial and operational challenges, DAS solutions can be customized to meet specific building requirements, such as indoor or outdoor coverage, high-density areas, or specialized connectivity needs.
WAVETHRU, combined with the flexibility of DAS stands out as a cost-effective, efficient, sustainable and future-proof alternative.
It’s time for building owners and managers to rethink indoor connectivity solutions and embrace innovation for better outcomes.
Are you ready to elevate your building’s connectivity? Contact us to learn more about what the WAVETHRU & DAS synergy can do for you!
Get in touch with us now.
