Do I Need A Cell DAS System? How To Choose A Perfect Solution.

This article will strictly discuss Cellular DAS Systems. For information on how ERRCS / BDA / Public Safety DAS Systems are deployed, please read our other articles. We are experts in both!

What’s at stake?

When DAS Systems are well planned for, they typically become a small part of the overall technology plan. Because they provide a core “5th utility” of the building, they function perfectly when no one realizes they are there. Cellular DAS should provide ideal connectivity throughout the full building seamlessly and without friction.

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When cellular DAS is not planned for, it morphs into an albatross where development teams or asset management teams are in a mad dash to validate the price tag and determine if fixing a daily problem in the building is worth it. Often this results in hurried decisions made without a full analysis. Systems get purchased and never worked, or no decision is ever made and tenants/residents/guests deal with miserable coverage anytime they’re in the building. 

Cellular DAS Considerations

If you’re here, you’re likely starting to evaluate some different ways to bring proper Cellular DAS Systems into the building. This can be for an existing property with known issues, a new construction project where issues have started to become recognized as the building closes in, or even a ground up project where future planning is critical. 

Cellular DAS can be successful deployed regardless of the circumstance. Even in functioning buildings where the day to day operations of the building cannot be impacted under any circumstance. 

A few important pieces to keep in mind as you navigate options

1. Technology Choices

Consider different hardware platforms and approaches at the buildings. Ask your DAS vendor why they are making the recommendation they are making, and what other options might be a fit at a different price point. 

2. Timeframe to Go-Live

If a system is agreed to- can guarantees be made for when all carriers will be live and functional? Cellular DAS without signal guarantees is a recipe for disaster. This can lead to situations where a full hardware install is completed, but no results can even be seen because the carriers weren’t brought into the building.

3. Building Impact

What does install look like? Is there a confirmed plan on cable paths, drywall patches, working hours etc?

4. Upfront and ongoing costs 

As buildings deal with more connectivity issues, but an ever constricted technology budget, there has been a hard push to find financial models that might better suit buildings. However, these financing options can often create solutions where the total cost is unknown and vendors are locking teams into contracts intended to be “forever contracts”. Ask for a full price if purchased outright and work from that number. 

What is DAS
It is likely that you may already know what DAS does, but maybe not what is. What is a DAS? DAS (Distributed Antenna System) is a system that is built to provide ideal cellular signal into an indoor space. This can be a commercial office property, airport, multifamily property, manufacturing space, hospital, hotel, etc. 

DAS Systems get their name from the architecture that the systems share regardless of the technology chosen. This is very little that is wireless in wireless communication, and DAS is no exception. Signal is brought into a building through cabling. This cabling is run vertically in the building throughout the data closets, and also horizontally above ceiling on each floor. The infrastructure of the systems is relatively simple. The changes between technologies are typically in the type of cabling run (Coax/category/fiber), the types of antennas, and the method of bringing signal into the system. 

DAS has been around for decades and gone through many different iterations. Currently, there are more technology options than ever with great avenues to balance cost and performance. 

DAS is NOT WiFi. Although the systems are similar in that they propagate RF signal into a built environment, the signal they send through the building is completely different. WiFi provides connection to the internet carrier in the building through permssioned access. Cellular connectivity is based on connecting your phone to Verizon/AT&T/T-Mobile through the cellular data plan. 

Cell DAS Systems also have a counterpart called ERRC / BDA systems that are a system for enhancing fire marshall radio coverage inside the building. These systems are related (And can even be converged onto a single systems!) but are not the same. 

Benefits

I have been deploying DAS systems for 15 years across every building type imaginable. 

Each building type has a unique reason for bringing Cellular DAS Systems into the building. In fact, I typically encourage building owners and managers to understand and assess the business case for DAS Systems before we scope the project and determine costs/implementation/etc. 

In some cases, Cellular DAS is substantiated for reasons as simple as “The occupants of the building need their phones to work”. 

Building Type	ROI For Cellular DAS
Commercial Office Building	Tenants are able to use their cellular devices without leaving their desks or the building. Higher rents are commanded by buildings with proper connectivity and WiredScore ratings.Higher rents are commanded by buildings with proper connectivity and WiredScore ratingsService tickets can be accessed and closed out by building maintenanceUninterrupted flow to business and building operationsRetain tenants and renew leases
Multifamily Building	Cellular DAS ensures safety and complete connectivity throughout the building, making it the #1 technology amenity for residents.Maintenance and service team can respond immediately to issues in the buildingEnsures that residents renew lease (Cellular is the #1 technology amenity)Attract new leases with a premium building pricetag
Manufacturing + Industrial	Ensure executives and management have proper connectivity.Protect employees- provide safety and security with coverage.Ensure that all machinery operating on wireless frequencies/cellular signal can operate in the building. Layer Private LTE and Wifi solutions with additional coverage. This ensures no gaps in communication.
Healthcare Buildings / Hospitals	Patients and guests have uninterrupted connectivity on the network, ensures great hospital feedback and reviewsCellular DAS improves critical communication in life-saving situations and enhances patient and guest experiences with uninterrupted connectivity.Attract and retain top talent through the best in class technology.Ensure all service tickets can be handled in a timely mannerSeamless operations of the building with routinely expected coverage available.
Hotels + Hospitality	Ensure excellent Yelp/Google/Trip Advisors reviewsWireless scores for the property will be idealRetain the regular guests at the hotel, ensure that the hotel can attract new business travelersSchedule high profit conferences and meetings while ensuring critical communication is available. Manage the operations of the hotel with zero hiccups to communication.
Parking Garage	Provide coverage and connectivity for all connected devices in the parking garageEnsure guests and visitors can utilize their phones to access mobile appsProvide enhanced safety and security through 100% connectivity to the cellular network.

Do I Need DAS

Similar to the previous section, the need for DAS can typically be defined by the needs of the building, and determining if cellular will play a role in seamless functionality of the space. 

There are a few factors that go into a decision on whether or not to evaluate Cellular DAS

• What are my current coverage levels?
  • Some buildings will have ideal coverage without any system in place. While a Cellular DAS will always provide a measure of improvement over the native signal in a building, understanding the current coverage levels are a first step towards making a decision. Buildings with critical coverage issues (No ability to connect, limited ability to connect for calls/data/text) should be prioritized over buildings that do not have constant impacts. Our team helps buildings determine if they’ll have an issue before they are even built.
• What are the use cases for cellular signal in my building?
  • Refer to the table above. Are there use cases for cellular in the building? What is the level of impact to typical operations if cellular signal is not adequate inside the building? It is a good idea to evaluate not only the use cases for cellular, but also how the building is reviewed and evaluated. For many buildings, how it attracts new leases or occupants can largely be based on the strength of the reviews of the space. Connectivity is increasingly a vital part of this equation
• What are the impacts to poor coverage
  • This is likely the most important math in a building. This question will help build a business case around installing (Or confidently not installing!) Cellular DAS. It is important to qualify the impacts to poor/non-existent coverage in the building. This can be immediately seen impacts such as a lawsuit if coverage isn’t available inside a garage, to fairly hidden impacts such as the failure to retain a tenant due to mounting frustrations inside the building. We have seen instances where cellular is not a sole driver of a decision to leave a building, but rather just a sizeable slice of the pie chart for why the decision gets made. 

Budgeting for a DAS
Creating a reasonable budget for the Cellular DAS solution is entirely based on the size of the space and the technology that is chosen. 

Generally the choice for technology is driven by the budget and the needs of the building. There will typically be an intersection between these things that can help dictate the best options at the site. 

For lower cost options, the Cellular DAS can end up anywhere between .65 cents per sq/ft to $1.00 per sq/ft

For larger scale solutions with the most robust fiber to the edge platform and all carrier radios attached, pricing can be well north of $2.00 + per sq/ft. 

In my experience, it is not typically beneficial to put a placeholder cost on the budget. In provides a high likelihood that the budget misses by 50% or more and a very low percentage chance that the predicted number is accurate. 

A ROM is always the recommended approach. It should not be a big lift for the integrator to develop a quick ROM in just a couple days. 

Types of DAS

This section will quickly detail some of the current options for bringing cellular coverage into a building through a Cellular DAS System. When I started in this industry 13 years ago, the choices for DAS were altogether fairly limited. There were extremely straightforward delineations between the technology offerings and choices between solutions were made fairly obvious. 

Since that time, there has been an enormous rise to a more “hybridized” solution. These are solutions that borrow pieces from a few different system classifications, and ultimately offer price points and feature sets outside of what can historically was available. 

Most Cellular DAS systems will be defined the method through which they bring coverage into the building, and then how signal is dispersed throughout the building. 

Passive Cellular DAS- Often called a repeater solution or cellular booster, it amplifies outdoor signal for better indoor coverage. Learn more about Passive DAS. It’s most general definition would be a system that can only amplify the received signal, and retransmit it into the building. It has a low level of customization, and will generally be a more plug and play option. It is typically a system that leverages the outdoor macro environment to provide better signal into the space. Meaning, good clear signal is captured on the roof of the building, the signal is amplified I the head-end, and then reliable strong coverage is sent throughout the building. These systems are reliant on there being adequate signal outside the building, as weak signal outside the building will produce weak signal inside the building. These solutions will generally be the most cost effective solutions for DAS.

Active Cellular DAS- A fully customizable system that can scale from small buildings to airports or stadiums. Explore Active DAS. An active DAS is generally a cellular enhancement system that provides a full customizable platform to bring any carrier / frequency / channel into a building. It has a main head-end that is available to accept carrier signal inputs. These signal inputs can be an antenna on the roof that is capturing signal from outside, a small cell that is acquired from the carriers, or a full base station radio that is procured from carriers for larger spaces. These systems can be built to accomplish any type of coverage in any size sq/ft. They are modular and scalable and available in buildings from 100k sq/ft to airports and stadiums. 

Hybrid Cellular DAS– Combines elements of Passive and Active DAS to provide a cost-effective yet powerful solution. Read about Hybrid DAS. They have a bit more customization than a passive DAS, but will have a lower price point than an active DAS. They offer a range of signal inputs, but they do not have the ability to inject some forms of carrier signal into the system. Ultimately they are a premier play for value in “middleprise” spaces where coverage is absolutely necessary but price is a very real constraint

Bidding DAS + Stress Tests

While this may seem obvious, the best solution for DAS Systems is to get a few options. This might mean that a preferred integrator builds out multiple solutions or that you explore different approaches from vendors.

In some cases, the solution for a building will be obvious. There may truly be one option that makes sense, and a host of options that would be a terrible fit in the space. 

However, there are many buildings where 2 or even 3 solutions might make sense, and the choice might be more dependent on the individual preferences of the building owners and technology teams. 

Some critical questions to ask include the following

1. What is the maximum number of users that can be supported by the Cellular DAS system? Is it different per carrier?
2. Can this system be expanded to other areas of the building? What are the most obvious paths to value engineer the system if cost savings are required?
3. What is the manufacturer that was chosen and why?
4. Can you provide a solution that costs less? What would I give up to choose that solution.
5. Can you provide a solution that is more feature rich? What would be the differences in performance and cost?
6. What do other similar types of buildings typically deploy?

Choosing the right DAS System often requires reviewing vendor case studies to ensure their experience matches your project’s scope.

A Note On DAS Vendors

While Cellular DAS is a relatively niche space, there are vendors across the country who are capable of deploying large-scale projects with a strict attention towards service level agreements. DAS vendors are typically best understood when broken down into tiers.

Tier 1: Vendors capable of deploying massive scale solutions such as stadiums/airports etc. Specialized only in DAS Work

Tier 2: Vendors that are focused on 100k to 1million sq/ft and are specialized only in DAS work.

Tier 3: Vendors who are capable of deployments from Tier 1 + Tier 2 but cannot self perform the entirety of the work/require subcontracting

Tier 4: Vendors who offer DAS as one of their solution + service offerings but not the core of their business, typically best suited for smaller less complex projects

Tier 5: Vendors who are familiar with smaller scale solutions and simplified Passive DAS Architecture only. They may or may not have DAS as the core of their business.

Tier 6: Vendors who are providing DAS when requested, and typically finding partners for the work. 

It is critical to understand your chosen vendor’s case studies and recent work in similar projects to yours. The most reliable predictor of success in the DAS Deployment is how DAS was handled in another project like yours. 

In summary- choosing a proper fit Cellular DAS System is based first on understanding the options available to you. Additionally, a savvy buyer can use this guide to better interview the teams they are evaluating and ensure the chosen solution is the best available fit now and into the future.