Rural coverage: blackspot to hotspot

Mobile coverage solution for Scenic Rim Accommodation

Summary

Challenge
Needed reliable cellular coverage to run home business and to keep the family safe.

Solution
CEL-FI GO improved coverage in the home and surrounding buildings with greater and more reliable signal.

Results
• Optimal Cellular Coverage
• Mini DAS system
• Reliable business calls

Business Profile

The McGhee family live in Darlington Queensland adjacent Lamington National Park, 85kms from Brisbane. Commonly known as ‘the green behind the Gold”, the area has an overabundance of breathtaking scenery, wildlife and clean mountain air. A well-known mobile coverage blackspot with its beautiful aspect directly contributing to its extremely unattractive cellular coverage.

Two family homes sit on large acreage site, some distance apart in a picturesque valley, enjoying everything that nature provides for free – only to have no home mobile coverage while paying for it. 

Challenge

Running a home business from the property proved to be troublesome due to constant call failures and dropouts. Making matters worse the National Broadband Network wireless connection was only available to the homestead and would require bridging by a point to point system. As voice over wireless hadn’t yet been released, an alternative solution had to be implemented urgently. Factoring in the health and safety issues for a fairly remote area, it was imperative that solution be implemented as the McGhee’s daughter had returned to the cottage after giving birth.

The Solution

A local telecommunications system integrator was contacted and tasked with providing a solution to their cellular coverage problems. The newly launched cabled and scalable CEL-FI GO was chosen as it would provide a robust solution incorporating well placed omnidirectional and directional DAS antennas. The solution provided improved coverage to both homestead and surrounding buildings with greater signal penetration and reliability. Utilizing the CEL-FI GO, the integrator effectively installed and created a mini DAS system (Distributed Antenna System).

Installation began on the roof with a LPDA antenna mounted on a 15ft galvanized mast. A Signal analyzer was used to acquire the position and strongest signal for the antenna which was subsequently mounted to the roof utilizing guy wire and turnbuckles. The CEL-FI GO was mounted in the laundry with two (2) custom “SMA” to “N” type LMR-400 cables penetrating the ceiling space. One feeding a two-way combiner supplying the two DAS antennas and the other from the roof connecting external LPDA antenna.

Two more custom LMR-400 cables produced and installed to the two mini DAS antennas. The first omnidirectional antenna was placed just out of view in the lounge area, with the second directional antenna place above the rear of the homestead facing southwards covering the outer buildings.

Products Used

  • CEL-FI GO
  • LMR-400 cable, combiners and connectors
  • Omnidirectional and directional distribution antennas
  • Deployed within hours
  • Penetrated steel, concrete, and glass panes
  • Achieved strong indoor 4G signal

Contact us today to help with your Cellular Coverage Problems

This CEL-FI installation was undertaken by our partners, in which CEL-FI has a global footprint in almost 100 countries. For a referral to a local expert in your area, please contact us via phone or email.