How to immediately improve cell signal inside a building

When assessing how to get better cell service in a building, the first step is understanding the level of impact (how deficient coverage is) and how this negatively affects operations.

For the level of impact, it’s essential to identify how severely each carrier is affected. The following tiers can help evaluate how to get better cell service in a building:

No Coverage- Phone is in SOS for the vast majority of the building. No ability to connect to the outside network. Coverage is not available in any capacity. 

Non-functional Coverage- The phone has the ability to see a tower and form a connection (Can see bars of signal) but the actual functionality of the phone (Data/text/voice) is completely deficient. Web pages never load, Calls have terrible voice quality, texts hang up in sending. 

Majorly Impacted Coverage- Voice/Data/Text are all severely impacted. They all work from a base level but there is a noticeable impact that prohibits seamless functionality. 

Moderately Impacted Coverage- Noticeable impacts to data/text/voice. Phones still function and essential communication can be made without issue. 

Minor Impacts/No Impacts- Impacts are not large enough to present a problem that warrants discussion.

Given the level of coverage issues, poor cellular connectivity can create significant challenges for building operations. This can include safety concerns, overloaded WiFi networks, or IoT devices failing to function. Identifying these issues is a critical part of understanding how to get better cell service in a building.

Poor coverage causing:

• Building occupants to have no access to cellular connectivity. Leaving the building to make a call 
• Service managers unable to see or reconcile tickets within the building, maintenance requests going unanswered
• Reviews for the location being impacted by poor connectivity. Guests not wanting to return. 
• Safety and security concerns with no easy way to connect in the building
• WiFi networks are overloaded as there are not concurrent other networks supporting connectivity in the building. 
• Cellular connected devices and iOT hardware is not able to properly function or connect. 
• Commercial buildings are unable to attract high value tenants where connectivity is a prioritized need
• Multifamily buildings cannot retain residents or get them to renew their leases
• Compromised quality of care in hospitals from no access to doctor/patient connectivity

If a building’s coverage is significantly impacted by coverage and there is a business function that is challenging due to the connectivity gaps, it is a sound investment to begin looking at cellular enhancement systems. In order to solve the problem, there are a few key steps which will allow the building owner/manager to assess the coverage level and find a perfect fit solution. 

Contract for an RF Survey

Don’t do anything until you fully understand the full scope of the issue. An RF survey is the first step in determining how to get better cell service in a building. It provides a heatmap showing all carriers’ coverage levels and functionality, enabling precise solutions. This information will give our team the ability to create a proposal that just solves the issues within the building, without solving problems that don’t exist. 

The deliverable for this stage of the project should be a heatmap showing all carriers throughout the building and their functionality. 

Budgetary Options

I will stress the word options here. Explore multiple solutions to find the best approach for your specific needs. This is an essential part of determining how to get better cell service in a building– some with greater impact than others. 

If your team has deployed Cellular DAS throughout the portfolio, you may already be able to clearly define the coverage solution that makes the most sense. 

Service Level Agreements

Work with the integrator to find service level agreements that meet the capabilities of the chosen system, and reflect the needs of the building. Ensure SLAs guarantee strong coverage in critical areas. This step is crucial for buildings prioritizing better cell service.

Install Timeline

Mutually agree upon the timeline to deploy and the level of effort required from building ownership to integrate the solution. It is critical to know the level of daily impact that the install might have at the site along with the construction and repair activities that might be out of scope for the integration team. 

Post Install Test

Work with the integrator to obtain the post install test and ask for documentation that the system is meeting SLAs in all critical and functional areas. Confirm with the typically used building phones + devices to confirm functionality is in place. 

Service and Warranty Support

The necessity of a monitoring package can be hotly debated in the Cellular DAS world. Generally, this is up to the building owner. If it’s imperative to know the system is down immediately, a live monitoring + alert system can be helpful. If it is more important to create minimal/no recurring monthly costs, it can make more sense to simply call the integrator when there is an issue. 

Building out a Cellular DAS system to address how to get better cell service in a building is a straightforward process when the right steps are followed. It ensures seamless coverage and avoids over- or under-investing in a solution. The risk generally comes when teams attempt to put in a system below the actual needs of a building, or get talked into a system that is beyond what they would require. 

Our specific approach has been built around finding perfect-fit cellular DAS systems that solve the coverage issues in the building with zero impact to building operations during the install. 

A properly functioning cellular DAS system / Cellular DAS Solution will guarantee that all systems requiring strong cellular signal work perfectly at a given building. 

Ask us about assessing your full building portfolio and helping to prioritize the buildings that need coverage most!