Harris Communications recently completed the 2nd and final phase of the commercial cellular project for the Van Andel Cancer Institute.  This facility’s 2nd phase is a Leed Certified building and we extended our 1st phase multi-carrier distributed antenna system (DAS) into it adding Nextel in addition to providing  in-building coverage with Verizon and AT&T.

VAN ANDEL CANCER RESEARCH INSTITUTE

We completed a commercial cellular repeater solution for The Van Andel Institute (VAI).  Founded in 1996, the vision was  an institute that would have an impact world-wide in enriching and enhancing lives through biomedical research and education.

This is a question that comes up fairly frequently when we conduct site surveys and speak with clients over the course of the project.  The simple answer is yes.  How many depends on many of the variables used in determining the coverage area of a system with a single inside antenna.  We generally assess what you are trying to achieve and take the size of your facility and solution into account before estimating the number of antennas.

The indoor antennas are low profile and can be installed with minimal disturbance to your facility.  In many cases it is necessary to conduct a site survey and ensure that there is ample space to install antennas.

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This is a great question.  We have mentioned “dual band amplifiers” in the past.  When we talk about dual band we are generally referring to an amplifier.  This means the amplifier is built to amplify/enhance signals for both the 800 MHz cellular or the 1900 MHz PCS frequencies.

Great question!

You can boost more than one cellular signal.  We prefer to conduct a site survey in order to determine the carrier readings in and outside your building to determine what solution will be the best fit.

How Cellular Reception Works

Cell phone reception is the strength of the connection the cell phone has to its network.  There are a variety of factors that impact cellular signal, such as proximity to a tower.  Most mobile devices use a set of bars of varying heights to display the strength of the signal where the device is located. 

Bird on a Wire……

This blog is industry related folks but not what we typically blog about at Harris Communications.  My day started with the routine cup of coffee and logging onto my computer.  I went to the local online paper this morning and I had to laugh when I read an article that talks about birds using a cell tower as “home”.

A signal booster an interchangeable term for cellular repeater, cell phone repeater, or wireless cellular signal booster, a type of bi-directional amplifier (BDA) as commonly named in the wireless telecommunications industry.

As defined by PCIA, The Wireless Infastructure Association:

A Distributed Antenna Solution, or DAS, is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common source via a transport medium that provides wireless service within a geographic area or structure. DAS antenna elevations are generally at or below the clutter level and installations are compact.

A distributed antenna system can be implemented using passive splitters and feeders, or active repeater amplifiers can be included to overcome the feeder losses. In systems where equalization is applied, it may be desirable to introduce delays between the antenna elements. This artificially increases delay spread in areas of overlapped coverage, permitting quality improvements via time diversity.  DAS are customized for individual installations and designed to suit each facility.

In-Building Wireless Solution, Ace Hotel- New York, NY

Ace Hotel has several locations throughout the United States and is a thriving urban hotel chain.  They are known for their hip style, unique locations and are often called a boutique hotel.  The New York location is a 12-story building in the heart of midtown Manhattan.  There are 260 rooms and the hotel is located near the theater district.   The Ace Hotel concept reinvents historical buildings, creates a bohemian and organic design that is environmentally friendly and offers affordable rates along with luxury amenities.

Ace Hotel was preparing to open their newest location in New York, NY and they realized that the cellular reception was slim to non-existent in the building.  The hotel chain offers free Wi-Fi and operates under the premise that they offer luxury amenities in historical buildings in major metropolitan cities throughout the United States.  With this premise in mind, the proprietors wanted to ensure that guests have adequate cellular reception throughout the hotel.  Ace Hotel found Harris Communications online and quickly contracted with us to implement a custom designed, multiple carrier cellular repeater solution.

The Ace Hotel is situated in the former Breslin Hotel, originally built in 1904.  The building itself is 12 stories and is surrounded by newer and larger buildings from all directions.  The size of the building as well as the historical construction of the facility resulted in poor cellular signal throughout the hotel.  Ace Hotel incorporates green eco-friendly aspects as well as sustainable elements in the design.  In some instances green friendly design materials block cellular signals and prevent adequate in-building coverage.  The cellular signal was available outside of the building, Harris Communications designed a solution that would pull the outside signal into the building and repeat it throughout the newly remodeled hotel.

Harris Communications designed a multiple carrier Bi-Directional Amplifier (BDA) solution guaranteed that cellular signals would propagate throughout the building effectively and facilitate cellular reception throughout the building. The BDA solution has a Distributive Antenna Solution (DAS) backbone.  This system incorporates a non-invasive installation that was implemented without disrupting the progress of the Ace Hotel grand opening.  We were able to design a solution that delivered cellular service without compromising the historical integrity of the building.  This solution does not require upgrades and will serve the hotels needs for years to come.

Benefits

Ace Hotel can guarantee full cellular coverage throughout the hotel.  The solution implemented by Harris Communications has eliminated the possibility of dropped calls and poor cellular coverage in the hotel.  The greatest benefit is that the Ace Hotel can continue to deliver outstanding service in a hip environment without the concern of guests experiencing poor and/or non-existent cellular coverage.

About Harris Communications

Harris Communications is a national company based out of Charlotte, NC that specializes in wireless in building cellular signal enhancement and wireless solutions for commercial applications. They have over 17 years of experience and have implemented wireless enhancement solutions in facilities throughout the United States. Harris Communications is a turnkey company and handles every aspect from the design, installation and maintenance of their systems.