Demand for good cellular coverage has always existed for the “Middleprise” (i.e., organizations in venues with under 200,000 sq. ft.). But the cost per square feet of serving these venues has been unreasonably high. When one factors in the cost of the equipment and labor for installation and commissioning of these systems, it is easy to understand why there has long been a coverage gap in this market.
A large enterprise may be able to support the ROI and associated costs of a DAS solution. But DAS requires extensive planning, RF design, engineering, and highly skilled technical installation and maintenance. Not to mention extensive budget and contract negotiations with multiple building owners, lessees, vendors, integrators, and the carriers themselves. As a result, the cost typically puts them out of range for the Middleprise. The Middleprise is also too large for affordable consumer-grade solutions.
To create an ideal solution (one that is both cost effective and easy to install) for the Middleprise, we used the proven smart signal booster technology foundation found within our award-winning Cel-Fi Smart Signal Boosters® and applied it to larger business needs with the all-new Cel-Fi QUATRA Networked Smart Booster.
While one Cel-Fi QUATRA system will provide up to 50,000 sq. ft. of indoor cellular coverage, several networked smart boosters can be synchronized and stitched together to cover up to 200,000 sq. ft.
These networked smart boosters can use both off-air and Small Cell donor inputs, depending on the capacity requirements of the installation.
Networked Smart Boosters are designed to be user-installable and require only basic IT LAN (Cat 5e) cabling skills. Once the systems are mounted in the appropriate locations, they are powered using power over Ethernet, thereby eliminating the need for electricians to install power outlets. All network and system configurations are performed automatically.
In true HetNet fashion, small cells and our networked smart boosters can be combined to take advantage of both their strengths. Combined they create boosted supercells that deliver uniform capacity and coverage for in-building scenarios for the Middleprise.
When working alongside a small cell, the networked smart booster distributes the capacity in a uniform, comprehensive manner while minimizing or eradicating the interference that organizations may experience when implementing multiple small cells or other indoor coverage solutions. This is significant since we know that interference can significantly undermine coverage and capacity within an organization.
Initial feedback from our Cel-Fi QUATRA Networked Smart Booster launch reinforces that we are delivering exactly what the Middleprise needs: an easy-to-deploy system that solves in-building coverage issues for 3G/4G/LTE in spaces up to 200,000 sq. ft., at the lowest cost per sq. ft.
For additional information, download our white paper today.