Indoor cellular coverage for aerospace

Challenge

Patrick’s company maintains several concrete military bunkers at its Florida facility, which are used to monitor rocket testing and launches. These bunkers are located in close proximity to launch pads. Because of the environment, the bunkers are fortified with eight-foot thick concrete walls, six-inch plated steel doors, concrete floors, and 15-inch thick window panes. While this material protects the people working inside the bunkers in the event of an explosion, it doesn’t bode well for cellular communication. One particular bunker received little to no signal outside, and no signal whatsoever anywhere inside the two-floor, 12,500 sq. ft. space. When Patrick called the company’s mobile network operator, he was told that the space was too small to justify the expense of a traditional DAS solution. The operator’s in-building solutions team also claimed to not have a solution that would solve this type of issue.

Before

After

The Solution

As Patrick tries to determine his next option, he receives a call back from the operator. One of the sales representatives recalls a Nextivity webinar on the Cel-Fi GO X Smart Signal Booster, a multi-carrier, indoor coverage solution ideal for use in commercial properties. Patrick is skeptical, but is open to a trial. The Nextivity team, comprised of a sales director and a solutions architect, flies to the site to install Cel-Fi GO X. Patrick initially schedules three days for the deployment, which includes touring the site, mounting the donor and server antennas, and installing Cel-Fi GO X. But within four hours, the installation is complete. When Patrick powers on the solution, the phones inside the bunker light up with text messages and alerts, much to everyone’s surprise and delight. “Wow, I never get messages or service in here,” comments one employee. “That’s more bars than I have ever seen in here. And it says 4G!” says another. Following a successful trial, Patrick recommends Cel-Fi GO X for all company sites requiring coverage, and schedules site reviews at several other secure locations.