| Neutral Host In-Building DAS |
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| The cure for the wirelessly stranded enterprise | |||
Page 4 of 5 Solutions So, unless you are an enterprise occupant of a building in situation D, you most likely need to invest in some form of in-building distribution system—now or soon—to stay connected at the speed of today’s business world. Remember, the service provider is the owner of the spectrum licence, and an enterprise is required by law to get the provider’s permission to operate its own IB system. This permission takes the form of a mutual agreement and this process is usually quite simple and quick, especially when the enterprise is paying for the deployment of the in-building gear. Needless to say, the system must be properly designed and balanced to satisfy the provider that it will not cause de-sensitization of the providers’ macro network. Narrow-band versus neutral host So what choices are available to the typical Canadian enterprise with wireless problems in its building? The broad choices are between a narrow-band system that typically supports a single provider or a wide-band system that supports multiple providers in the area. The latter is known as ‘neutral host’ systems. As the name suggests, these systems are key to fully extending the benefits of a competitive wireless services environment all the way to where it is really required—inside the enterprise building space. However, there may be some applications where a narrow-band system is all that is required and better suited from a technical standpoint. As may be expected, the neutral host solution costs the enterprise more than a narrow-band system. However, with the right technology (see Choices below), this gap is much smaller; it’s very easy to deploy a neutral host solution now and reap both the short- and long-term benefits of a competitive wireless services environment. Blueprint for success In-building systems have evolved from the earlier generation of cumbersome, passive 1/2-in. coax DAS (distributed antenna system) to more modern, active DAS solutions that are much more in tune with the neutral host concept. Here’s a quick, practical outline to help plan the best in-building DAS: • Clearly understand the nature of your wireless coverage problem by discovering your current and potential future coordinates in the IB matrix. • If your matrix coordinates fall in any quadrant except D, you have some planning and work to do. • If you are in quadrant B, you may rely on the provider to fix the problem, but if you anticipate the appearance of a new provider soon, investing in your own neutral host system might be a better, longer-term option. • If you are in either A or C quadrant, you clearly need to invest in a good neutral host system. If you are an A quadrant dweller, you may get away with a narrow-band system. But with only a marginally higher investment, you can take better charge of your future wireless destiny by investing in a neutral host system. • Choose the right technology/services partner and identify the provider or providers for the donor signal. • Negotiate and sign the necessary agreements with the provider/s with the help and guidance of a carefully selected technology/service partner. • Execute the plan and deploy the system (see Choices below). |
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