Question of the Month: Has wifi left the building? Comm’l. property owners in NY and NJ embrace iDAS technology - by Robert Bianco

Has WiFi Left the Building? Commercial Property Owners in New York and New Jersey Embrace the Benefits of iDAS Technology

As more and more enterprises and commercial properties in the tri-state area move to 5G, small cell and Distributed Antenna System (DAS) deployments will be critical. Small cell technology steals all of the press, it seems—and perhaps rightfully so, as it uses and reuses the same frequencies over and over again, optimizing the available spectrum under the 5G umbrella.

But DAS and indoor DAS (iDAS) are equally important to 5G adoption, both inside and out. Similar to small cell technology, DAS can provide multi-carrier services and bridge indoor service gaps using shared antennas to help eliminate uninterrupted service in any environment. Since the 5G signal can’t travel as far and won’t be able to penetrate buildings, indoor DAS (iDAS) networks are a necessity for the 5G networks to function indoors.

According to a Coleman Parkes research study commissioned by CommScope and conducted within the past five years, 80% of cellular demand in New York and New Jersey is for service inside buildings. Given that, fast and reliable cellular coverage is a basic expectation of people who occupy every property.

iDAS is a telecom infrastructure solution that connects the networks of the mobile operators to users in a building. Through a system of small antennas installed throughout the property, the solution emits a quality signal that all users can enjoy.

At first blush, Wi-Fi may be the first thing that comes to mind when it comes to wireless internet. It’s cheap, unregulated and easy to set up. Wi-Fi, however, has its own weaknesses in a commercial property setting.

Network congestion is the first drawback. With hundreds of people and employees connected to a single network at the same time, this can lead to system overload, slow speeds and unreliable connections. Because of the networks’ unregulated nature in a building, multiple Wi-Fi networks in close quarters can easily interfere with one another, impairing the quality of the signal. Equally important is security: Wi-Fi can be vulnerable to security threats. Wi-Fi also has no quality of service guarantees.

Overall, when it comes to providing a desired connectivity experience, indoor environments pose unique challenges. Walls block antenna signals. High user-density slows data flows. The best user experience is when there are no breaks in connectivity.

That is what sets iDAS apart. iDAS is not a system that “repeats,” “enhances” or “boosts” signals captured externally. Instead, a true iDAS is a standalone system that offers a dedicated service that provides the best connectivity experience for the site by accounting for characteristics unique to each enterprise and each building, such as the architectural characteristics, flow of people and user profiles.

Sadly, the wireless carriers cannot expand cellular networks to every individual building, since they have budgetary limitations and many competing coverage priorities. This means that owners and landlords—not the mobile operators—are now tasked with keeping users connected on their premises. Connectivity is increasingly the commercial owner’s responsibility.

To help those owners, iDAS uses amplifiers, or remote units, connected to a point of interface—which gathers all the signals from the operators. Fiber optic cables are positioned close to the transmission antennas, which are spread over the building that needs coverage and capacity. With iDAS, the signal arrives with superior quality and strength to the amplifiers, which improve the signal provided by the wireless antennas. In addition, it is an easily adaptable infrastructure for new technologies such as 5G technology and can be designed and implemented in projects of any size.

Our lives today revolve around technology. When a user first enters an establishment, they seek a connectivity experience that supports the technology-enhanced lifestyle to which they have become accustomed. It’s unacceptable to have no connectivity, just like it’s unacceptable to have no hot water or lights at night. On the other hand, great connectivity really improves our quality of life: the more signal bars, the higher our satisfaction.

What is certain is that the demand for iDAS will continue to rise as 5G networks proliferate. And companies like Hylan are here to help commercial real estate owners and network operators every step of the way as communities and commercial enterprises build on their robust 5G expansion plans.

Robert Bianco is the vice president of business development at Hylan, New York, N.Y.