Stable and reliable mobile connectivity is crucial for modern day business operations. Poor indoor mobile coverage threatens productivity, revenue, reputational damage and customer satisfaction.
Despite these pitfalls, there are many businesses who neglect to address the demand for consistent and reliable indoor mobile coverage. The unfamiliar terms and technical terminology sound daunting and complex. They expect the solution to have large-scale disruption to their day-to-day operations, never mind the huge CAPEX cost.
Distribution centres have additional complexities. The sheer size of the buildings combined with the metallised insulation, steel frames and metal cladding create a classic Faraday cage setting which prevents mobile signal to penetrate the building. Often, distribution centres are found on the outskirts of town, some distance from the mobile phone masts.
When luxury chocolatier and cocoa grower Hotel Chocolat acquired the neighbouring warehouse in St Neots in August 2020, they addressed any complexities immediately. Mobile coverage in the existing warehouse was an issue prior to the extension. They had previously attempted to boost mobile signal by installing network-provided boosters. Although it initially provided some marginal improvements in certain areas of the building, there was room for improvement. After the expansion, the extended ‘Alpha’ distribution centre was over 20,000 m² in size.
With ever-increasing reliance on mobile devices together with the impact on productivity meant that the issue of in-building signal could no longer be ignored and had to be resolved.
Hotel Chocolat identified that mobile connectivity would be imperative for their operational efficiency and contacted Frequency Telecom to provide them with a legal, all network solution which covered the entire warehouse.
Frequency Telecom is the master distributor of Nextivity’s CEL-FI range of mobile signal boosters and are widely recognised as the experts in providing in-building and in-vehicle mobile signal solutions. The CEL-FI range are easy to install, cost-effective and provide an exceptional coverage footprint for voice and data. CEL-FI products are the only mobile signal boosters that are licence-exempt and fully comply with the regulatory requirements of OFCOM in the UK and COMREG in Ireland.
The process Frequency apply to determine a solution starts with client consultations, in-depth analysis of the site, building and layout plans. An initial solution is the put forward, subject to a site inspection. Once the site inspection is completed, the client receives a comprehensive proposal detailing the solution and installation.
Frequency presented the CEL-FI QUATRA solution to deliver the level of mobile coverage required across all networks in the new Hotel Chocolat Alpha distribution centre.
CEL-FI QUATRA is an active, all-digital DAS hybrid in-building mobile system which delivers high-quality mobile signal that is 1000x stronger in venues up to 50,000m². CEL-FI QUATRA can be installed in just days and at a price point that meets the middleprice budget.
ZoneWave, an accredited CEL-FI installer and Frequency partner, performed the installation in under 2 weeks. The main contractor WSP oversaw the deployment and controlled the strict HSE requirements for the site.
CEL-FI products are mobile network approved and fully meet the regulatory requirements in the UK and Ireland. The CEL-FI commitment is to protect the operator’s network, deliver the best in-building mobile performance, and be the easiest solution to install.
A version of this article was originally published by WAREHOUSE & Logistics News
