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.

PCS

Personal communication service (PCS) is a second-generation mobile communications technology also referred to as digital cellular. The digital service, which works over CDMA and TDMA interfaces, operates at the 1900 MHz frequency range.

Many of you have heard people in the wireless and telecommunications industry refer to the FCC.  The FCC stands for the Federal Communications Commission.  The FCC is a US government entity responsible for regulating communications industries.

A commercial cellular repeater or cellular booster is a type of bi-directional amplifier (BDA) as commonly named in the wireless telecommunications industry.  The device is used for boosting the cell phone reception to a designated through the usage of an antenna for reception, an amplified signal and an internal rebroadcast antenna.

The next generation of wireless communications beyond today’s digital PCS technologies.

Bandwidth has several related meanings, for our purposes in the wireless industry there are two primary definitions:

Bandwidth (computer)digital bandwidth: a rate of data transfer, throughput or bit rate, measured in bits per second (bps).

Bandwidth (signal processing) or analog bandwidth, frequency bandwidth or radio bandwidth: a measure of the width of a range of frequencies, measured in hertz.

Bandwidth is a measure of available or consumed data communication resources.  As technology grows and our desire for seamless connectivity grows, bandwidth use increases as well.

A Wi-Fi enabled device such as a personal computer, mobile phone, MP3 player orvideo console can connect to the Internet when within range of a wireless network connected to the Internet.

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.

A microcell is a cell in a mobile phone network served by a low power cellular base station (tower), covering a limited area such as a mall, a hotel, or a transportation hub.  A microcell is usually larger than a picocell, though the distinction is not always clear.  Microcell’s use power control to limit the radius of its coverage area; typically the range of a microcell is less than a mile wide.  A micro cellular network is a radio network comprising of microcells.

A macrocell is a cell in a mobile phone network that provides radio coverage served by a power cellular base station (tower). Generally, macrocells provide coverage larger than microcell. The antennas for macrocells are mounted on ground-based masts, rooftops and other existing structures, at a height that provides a clear view over the surrounding buildings and terrain.  Macrocell base stations have power outputs of typically tens of watts. The term macrocell is used to describe the widest range of cell sizes. Macrocells are found in rural areas or along highways. Over a smaller cell area, a microcell is used in a densely populated urban area.