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Short Range Wireless


How wireless connectivity is now the next utility


It’s estimated that 80 per cent of mobile traffic originates or terminates inside a building. And with around two billion smartphone users across the globe, it’s critical that a building’s tenants have access to strong and reliable cellular coverage in order to make full use of their mobile device. Despite this, however, only two per cent of commercial buildings have the dedicated technology required to ensure strong and reliable indoor mobile coverage. Lewis White, MD Northern Europe, CommScope, tells us more


Lewis White T


o find out why so many buildings and, by extension, their tenants remain disconnected, CommScope commissioned a survey of 600 professionals responsible for designing and managing commercial buildings, in Europe and the US, exploring their current performance, attitudes and insights towards access to indoor wireless connectivity.


Meeting growing demand Mobile connectivity has become a consumer expectation, something acknowledged by the vast majority of the survey’s respondents, 87 per cent of whom agreed that it was imperative to have in-building cellular coverage in all areas of a building. But despite this appreciation, there seems to be a lack of understanding of how best to ensure the technology is in place to meet expectations, with only just over half of respondents claiming that they always considered indoor cellular coverage when working on projects. The widespread adoption of smart devices has led to an explosion in high-


www.cieonline.co.uk


speed, bandwidth-hungry data traffic which poses significant stress and capacity demands on cellular networks. Buildings with between three and 10 storeys and a relatively stable population are likely to have sufficient capacity from outdoor cells sites. Issues with capacity will tend to arise, however, in larger buildings with multiple storeys and unpredictable population numbers. In addition, architectural considerations such as the use of low-emissivity glass in windows to conserve energy can also make a building less receptive for mobile coverage from outside. It’s commonly believed that addressing these issues by installing an in-building wireless (IBW) or mobility solution might require complex engineering skills and a detailed understanding of radios, cabling and associated networking infrastructure. Along with the additional risk of investing in rapidly changing technology and the fear of a ‘rip and replace’ situation, it’s perhaps little surprise that indoor cellular coverage is a consideration for so few. And this situation will nearly always be


affected by the potential cost implication to building owners of the installation and ongoing maintenance of any new system. Increased awareness of the returns that an indoor wireless system could deliver may be the most effective way of changing attitudes and creating a desire to take responsibility for its implementation.


Demonstrating payback The issue of responsibility can be complex when it comes to providing cellular coverage within large buildings containing multiple tenants with varying connectivity requirements. Only one in five respondents believes that building managers are responsible for providing cellular coverage, more than a third suggest the responsibility should lie with network operators, and a quarter say the enterprise IT department should be accountable.


Fundamentally, building owners aren’t


currently procuring IBW systems because they don’t see the value and return they offer. There’s no clear evidence to suggest they’ll lose prospective tenants if they don’t offer cellular connectivity and, unlike in domestic residences, the emphasis in businesses tends to be more on IT infrastructure than on 3G/4G wireless networks. It’s important, therefore, to demonstrate some kind of payback, by somehow quantifying the benefit of making a space more attractive to potential tenants. Traditionally, when investing in something as significant as an IBW system, building owners would seek assurances that they’ll see a reduction in OPEX, for example, or that they’ll enjoy a higher value on their property per square foot. However, the survey revealed that a belief that a dedicated IBW system could increase a building’s value by up to 28 per cent.


One example of how this may be achieved, and that is already being used successfully within large venues such as shopping malls and stadiums, is the employment of a neutral host provider. Here the system’s ownership is shifted


from the carrier to a third-party service provider who then assumes all financial, legal and technical responsibility for deploying, installing and maintaining the system. Access to the system is leased to one or more operators meaning that, as well as generating more revenue, more tenants and visitors can access their own carrier’s network without the need to roam. The quantifiable ROI and flexibility that the neutral host model offers may soon see building owners take charge. Barriers


between traditional roles will start to break down as stakeholders see the benefits – financial, commercial and practical – of a dedicated in-building wireless system. Building owners clearly understand the importance of providing adequate utilities such as gas, electricity, water and even basic Wi-Fi to their tenants. But only by considering cellular connectivity as a basic utility too can we move toward the goal of fast, reliable and seamless connectivity for all.


When designing new buildings, it is no longer acceptable to ignore the requirements for connectivity in today’s always-on digital environment. Building owners must avoid a “build now/fix it later” approach and consider where and how an in-building wireless system can be installed, otherwise they may find their tenant relationships at risk sooner rather than later.


www.commscope.com Components in Electronics November 2016 27


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