Are You Ready to Transform Your In-Building Wireless Coverage?

With the growing demand for seamless connectivity, the question of who is paying for the cellular infrastructure in the places we work, visit or enjoy in our free time is becoming a paramount question for building owners.

Traditionally in the early years, wireless carriers held the responsibility of covering service costs to a building or a business. Fast forward to today’s exploding demand for data, large-scale venues continue to receive similar provider support but noticeably there has been a shift in formalities and cost ownership in small to mid-size enterprises. These types of enterprises are often solely responsible for acquiring an affordable connectivity solution.

Connectivity - The Fourth Utility

Connectivity everywhere is becoming the expectation, and property owners are finding that they need to plan for it in their buildings alongside electricity, water and gas service. With the growth of smart building technologies, IoT devices, real-time communication and video streaming, along with visitors and employees using their personal devices, having high-speed connectivity in offices and commercial spaces has become an essential necessity for business owners and results in multiple benefits, including:

Prioritizing In-Building Connectivity

Building owners are finding prioritizing and enhancing their cell coverage is critical to improving visitor experiences, retaining employees, and remaining competitive. However, meeting the continuous demand for data can be complex and challenging. To leverage the best technology strategy and get the maximum return on your investment, utilizing a trusted wireless solutions provider who can execute their in-depth industry knowledge can be a game changer.

Utilizing their unique skills and problem-solving capabilities, a strategic partner working in conjunction with a systems integrator can deliver turnkey solutions for signal sources from all the major wireless network operators.

What is a Signal Source?

A signal source is a piece of hardware that connects to one of the major wireless network operators, and creates a signal that mobile devices use to send and receive data or voice. The wireless signal operates in a portion of the licensed cellular spectrum that is unique to each mobile operator. When users are outside or in their car, the signal is transmitted from the top of a cellular tower directly to your mobile device. The same signal can be used as the input to an in-building DAS (distributed antenna system). A DAS is required to transmit the signals throughout buildings where the tower signals are unable to penetrate.

One of the biggest problems in the industry today is simplifying the process of bringing the carrier’s signal quickly and cost effectively.

Going Small

To deploy cost-effective wireless connectivity in buildings, and venues where a DAS isn’t a viable option, small cell technology can provide an alternative solution to DAS. In-building small cells provide enterprises with a flexible network solution that supports multiple mobile network operators and scales to fit the requirements of any building or venue size. 

A small cell is a miniature wireless network that can be deployed indoors or outdoors to increase the mobile network range and capacity. Small cells can also be used as a signal source for a DAS. Small cells are relatively quick to deploy and are more affordable than larger traditional base stations that provide more capacity than is required. 

As the escalating demand for more and more capacity continues to explode, small and medium size enterprises are looking for new solutions for high-quality in-building connectivity for smart devices, private LTE, internet, IoT applications, public safety requirements, smart building technologies, and other data-intensive applications. They are finding that small cells are a cost-effective multi-carrier solution that can provide them with scalable and seamless in-building cellular coverage. With their small footprint, lower cost and flexibility, small cells are designed to provide reliable next-generation coverage in a variety of high-traffic small to mid-size enterprises, including:

Public Safety

Because small cells deliver effective and reliable in-building wireless communications, they provide a critical component to the operational safety and efficiency of the building. Emergency responders depend on seamless connectivity for vital emergency communications. In many cities, fire codes require that new or renovated buildings have network infrastructure that can provide a clear and reliable signal throughout the building.

Navigating the Process

Investing in reliable in-building wireless coverage is imperative in today’s connected world. It boosts business productivity, improves customer experience, increases efficiency, and supports future IoT technologies. 

The major network operators provide sufficient outdoor coverage, but when it comes to in-building coverage, it is mostly left to the building owner or enterprise to find solutions to meet coverage and capacity needs.

Small cells help deliver a greater capacity of wireless signal within a building. They have a variety of vendor-specific names, features and capacities. Understanding what technology is best-fitted to meet your specific in-building needs, navigating the process and asking the right questions to ensure that your cellular connection fits your business requirements both now - and in the future - is imperative.

The Benefits of a Deployment Partnership

Although there is no one-size fits all solution to your connectivity needs, there are a variety of cost-effective single and multi-carrier approved solutions available that deliver performance functionality, ease of installation and meet maintenance requirements for businesses and enterprises. 

Acting as a strategic partner, Wesco can deliver innovative wireless solutions for your in-building wireless connectivity. With top brands from the leading industry suppliers, a broad services portfolio and deep industry expertise, we can provide end-to-end support from concept, to design, to deployment. 

Wesco is at the center of the wireless ecosystem. We can provide carrier-approved signal sources for major network operators. We can help you choose the right vendor technology for your building needs in terms of venue size, building materials, users, number of required carriers, signal protocol, building layout, and public safety requirements. Our team also works in conjunction with systems integrators to ensure a smooth integration to your specific in-building coverage needs.

With decades of industry experience, Wesco leverages our well-established relationships to efficiently and effectively provide business owners and property managers robust indoor wireless solutions to improve productivity and operations efficiency.