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In-Building Wireless: A Deployment Guide For Wireless Service Providers
In-Building Wireless: A Deployment Guide For Wireless Service Providers
PLANNING GUIDE
Welcome to the
In-building Wireless
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The purpose of this guide is to provide you with an understanding of the issues surrounding in-building wireless solution implementation, including: What are the challenges in designing and executing in-building wireless projects? What factors affect their ROI and ongoing costs? How can multiple entities share construction and operational costs? What is the business case for in-building wireless? It is our goal to help you implement more solutions seamlessly, economically and quickly. If you dont have the answers to some of these questions, or if you lack a complete understanding of in-building wireless, this guide is a great place to start. Charting the Future Direction of In-building Wireless This In-building Wireless Guide is designed as a hands-on reference document. We invite you to share this guide with your staff and use the information to build your own Blueprint for In-building Wireless Success. It has the potential to help you and your staff in the following ways: Gain a holistic approach to RF planning and solution integration. Identify opportunities for using in-building wireless to improve your competitive position and bottom line. Aid solution selection. Minimize implementation delays and costs.
How to Use the Deployment Guide: Sections 1 through 4 The guide is divided into four easy-to-navigate sections. Although this format allows you to pick and choose which sections to view, the most effective way to use this document is to work through each section in order. You will be asked to complete an in-building wireless audit, which offers the dual benefit of allowing you to document your current situation and providing ADC with the necessary information to answer your tough indoor wireless questions. This audit will ultimately streamline the process, creating faster time-to-market and increased customer satisfaction. The guide also provides you with insight into design choices for effective in-building wireless infrastructure, as well as case histories from real-world indoor wireless implementations. Section 1 Auditing Your In-building Wireless Deployment Section 2 Service and Technology Considerations Section 3 Your Blueprint for In-building Wireless Success Section 4 Case Studies: In-building Wireless Deployment Scenarios Note: You will encounter many acronyms throughout this document. Although they will be defined along the way, an acronym key is provided in the appendix.
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5.) What is your timeline for deploying in-building wireless? (See Project Timeline in appendix) o Deploying now o the next 6 months In o the next year In o Considering / contract or pending funding 6.) What are your preliminary solution preferences? o Active Distributed Antenna System (DAS) o Passive DAS o Repeater o or microcell Pico o Other __________________ Facility and Installation Considerations 7.) What is the type of facility? (Check all that apply.) o Open/warehouse o Industrial/Manufacturing o Cubed office o Drywall office o Hi-rise building o Government building o Hospital building o Mall o Airport o Convention center o Stadium/Arena 8.) What is the estimated number of subscribers within the venue? __________ 9.) ow many buildings are in this facility? __________ H 10.) hat is the approximate size of this facility? W (list per building) ____________ square feet ____________ square feet ____________ square feet ____________ square feet 11.) ow many floors does this facility have? _________ H If more than one venue, please describe each. ____ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________ ___________________________________________
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12.) Are floor plans available? o Yes o No 13.) Is existing cable infrastructure available? o No o Yes, single-mode fiber o Yes, multi-mode fiber o CAT3/5 cable o CATV o Coax 14.) Is installation of conduit/innerduct required? o existing No, o why required _________________________ Yes, _________________________________________ 15.) Are plenum-rated cables required? o Yes o No 16.) Are dust tents/partitions required (clean room environment)? o Yes, describe where and why ________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ o No 17.) Are there any special work instructions? o Union labor required o Incumbent installer o Building restricted access, security o Off hours o Asbestos or other environmental issues o Other work restrictions, please list ____________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________
18.) Is high lift equipment required for installation? o Yes, describe coverage areas ________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ o No 19.) Are there any special installation requirements? (Examples could include architectural, aesthetic and historical considerations.) o Yes, please describe ________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ o No RF Considerations 20.) What is your design goal in terms of dBm? _______ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ 21.) Which bands are in use? And what is the number of RF carriers per band? o 700 MHz public safety_______________ o 800 MHz SMR_______________ o 800 MHz cellular A band_______________ o 800 MHz cellular B band_______________ o 900 MHz SMR_______________ o 900 MHz GSM_______________ o 1800 MHz DCS_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS A band_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS B band_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS C band_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS D band_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS E band_______________ o 1900 MHz PCS F band_______________ o AWS 1700/2100 MHz_______________ o 2100 MHz UMTS_______________ o Other services_______________
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22.) What is the access protocol and number of RF carriers? o TDMA_______________ o GSM-TDMA_______________ o CDMA_______________ o WCDMA/UMTS_______________ o iDEN_______________ 23.) Does this project require support for multiple service providers and/or multiple access protocols? o Yes, please describe ________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ o No 24.) Are there any other in-band services or known interferers? o Yes, please describe ________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ _________________________________________ o No 25.) What is the RF source? o Remote off-air interface o Local BTS/Node B interface o nanoBTS (IP pico feed) o Remote BTS feed It is important to identify your top priorities when selecting a solution. A partner like ADC who offers a wide-range of products from repeaters, indoor DAS, outdoor DAS, pico and microcells, structured cabling, and services will be able to customize a solution based on your priorities.
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Reduce Overhead Costs An in-building wireless system can reduce overhead costs in a variety of ways. For example, it can reduce the traffic load on the macrocellular network to the point that additional base stations may not be necessary. Considering that a new base station can cost $250,000 or more, with backhaul and site leases adding to that cost, the savings can be significant. Another example is how solid indoor coverage can improve data performance. If bandwidth-intensive applications such as streaming multimedia have access to a good signal, it makes for a better user experience. Just as important, a good signal reduces the number of lost and corrupted packets, in turn reducing the number that have to be resent. As a result, the operator may not need to upgrade its network capacity because the current infrastructure isnt wasted on unnecessary tasks such as resending packets. Those savings also free up capital that can be spent on revenue-generating projects. In-building systems also can be a cost-effective way to accommodate high voice and data usage. For example, instead of splitting macro cells or adding capacity to macro cells, deploying an in-building system can offload some of that traffic. That approach frees up capacity on the macrocellular network improving the customer experience indoors and out. Finally, reliable indoor service also reduces customer complaints and churn, so the operator may have lower customer-acquisition costs because it isnt constantly trying to replace customers who have left. Fewer customer complaints also can reduce the need to staff up call centers, issue service credits or both. A side benefit of reduced churn and lower customer-acquisition costs is that investors closely monitor these metrics when assessing a wireless carriers competitive position. Identify All Variables Proposals are only as accurate as the information on which theyre based. Identifying all variables up front is the best way to avoid change orders, which can cause project costs to spiral out of control, undermining the business model. Overlooking variables also can delay time-to-market and the ROI. The worst-case scenario is a lengthy work stoppage caused by variables that should have been identified up front. Site surveys are highly recommended for identifying structural and environmental variables. Table 1 lists some common environmental factors to consider in old and new buildings.
Higher likelihood of core drilling required; not designed for cable infrastructure; no Telco closets Fiber runs may be longer than anticipated (no way to get there from here) Higher likelihood that facility has hard-to-install ceiling construction such as hard pan May have historic preservation requirements (e.g., protect woodwork) and aesthetic requirements; Asbestos abatement Often have many additions/ exterior walls on the interior; floor plans may show the facility as one complete floor when in reality they are separate facilities adjoined; for this circumstance there is no way to quickly/efficiently model
Typically have Auto-Cad drawings, but often not updated when facility changes occur
Older buildings may have asbestos, which requires special consideration when, for example, the material is in areas where cables must be pulled or where holes must be drilled. Newer buildings often have floor plans that are available in electronic form, such as Auto-Cad drawings. However, its important to check whether those plans have been updated to reflect any remodeling or additions since the initial construction. In both old and new buildings, check with the IT department or other entity thats likely to know where fiber is and isnt available, as well as type(s) used. If existing conduit doesnt have extra room for additional fiber pulls, determine the amount that will have to be added. Also, determine whether additional conduit is necessary only on verticals or on horizontals, too. Besides fiber, identify other infrastructure that can be leveraged in order to reduce costs and installation time. Examples include the facilitys Cat5 plant and local power.
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The facilities-maintenance department can be a good source of information about ceiling types because theyve encountered them while installing or maintaining HVAC ductwork. This department also should be able to provide information about whats above ceilings. Note the ceiling heights in all areas where in-building coverage is required. Do they require more than just a standard 8- or 10-foot stepladder to reach? If so, factor in additional costs, such as renting scissor lifts. Check with facilities management to see if a scissor lift is already on site and can be borrowed for the project, although insurance requirements might not allow it. Identify unique building features that will affect coverage and propagation, such as long hallways with offices on both sides, or banks of metal lockers. Hospitals typically have a few rooms with lead-lined walls, such as X-ray rooms. Look for clean rooms, which are common in a wide variety of facilities, ranging from hospitals to hotels to data centers. A good rule of thumb is that the older the facility, the more likely that it will include areas that cant be covered in dust, such as when drilling holes, or floors tracked by a scissor lift. Factor in time and budget for preventive measures such as tenting, which generally require a two-person team. A twoperson team more than doubles labor costs and the projects time frame. Wherever possible, note the building materials. For example, plaster walls typically have embedded wire mesh, which reflects signals at cellular frequencies such as 850 MHz and 1900 MHZ. By comparison, drywall typically reflects only a small percentage of the signal. Offices built over the past few decades tend to have windows with metallic tinting, which routinely attenuate signals by 20dB or more. Look for parts of the environment that can be moved or reconfigured, such as pallet racks and mezzanines. These typically are made of steel, which means that theyll affect propagation. So if theyre moved or removed, signal coverage almost certainly will be altered and not necessarily for the better. Even large wooden benches, which may absorb signals, can be a factor. Another key consideration is installation labor, which typically is 40-50 percent of the systems cost. Refer to the audit in Section 1 for labor-related considerations. Its important to recognize that some or all of these variables might exist in your project. Identifying as many of them as possible as early as possible significantly reduces the chances that youll be surprised later on by delays and additional costs.
Focus on Solutions A sound and ideal in-building wireless solution typically requires propagation analysis, system design, site surveys, coordination of installation services which may include union labor and value-added resellers (VARs) and all hardware. The solution also should include accountability, with clearly defined benchmarks for measuring success. Hence, it is important to choose a partner thats capable of providing a comprehensive, turnkey solution. There are several technical solutions available for in-building wireless coverage and capacity. They include: pico and microcells, high and low powered repeaters, passive coax-based transport, and low and high powered active DAS. Before selecting a specific solution or combination of solutions, it is important to consider the following: Is the need capacity, coverage, or both in nature? What is the size and type of venue? How many wireless service providers does the solution need to support? A sound understanding of these needs along with the reconciliation of the business criteria and venue requirements, will guide you to the appropriate technologies. Determine Ownership and Set Expectations Different environments have different requirements. That goes without saying, but it bears repeating because in some cases, the landlord or enterprise may want an in-building solution thats operator- and/or technologyagnostic. A related issue is which entity pays for and owns the in-building system. Its critical to identify ownership and the owners requirements up front because they affect design considerations. For example, sharing power amplifiers may require additional remote units, which translates into additional hardware and labor costs. By comparison, a discrete system may be easier to design and manage because its easier to mitigate interference and eliminates ownership and maintenance questions. Identifying the variables discussed earlier in this section is a highly effective way to set expectations before the project gets underway. Setting expectations also avoids scope creep. Other important considerations are: Identify and agree to all requirements up front. Once the project is underway, changes and additions become change orders, which can be expensive and time-consuming.
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Examples of this may include: hanges to a desired coverage area such as adding C coverage to a parking garage or facility area; hange to the RF source i.e., base station on-site vs. C off-air affects equipment configuration and physical placement in the venue; isunderstanding of existing cable path location M may result in the need to modify RF plan or pull new cable. If changes are required, there are several options: Once the purchase order is issued, anything outside the proposal on which its based should be managed separately. Outside requirements may cause the project to be put on hold so that the plan can be amended. Have the enterprise pay for the additional materials and labor required to make the change. Or revamp the design and negotiate sharing the cost of the changes. You may modify the plan but you are not going to modify the total allocated dollars. By sharing the costs of the in-building solutions, it may complicate the pre-work but minimizes stakeholders expenses and facilitates communication. All parties with monies invested are sure to lobby for their needs, ultimately satisfying all stakeholders.
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Assessing the Transport Options Fiber is an ideal backbone for in-building wireless systems. The obvious reasons include its bandwidth capabilities which are a major asset for supporting 3Gs data-intensive applications its relatively low cost and the large installed base that in-building systems can tap into. A less-obvious benefit is immunity to interference: Fiber cables dont emit RF, nor are they susceptible to RF. Likewise, digitized RF mitigates any RF interference concerns (e.g., intermods, harmonics). This provides more design and installation flexibility. For example, the in-building systems fiber can be run in the same conduit as coax thats supporting a malls digital signage installation. Immunity to interference also can reduce troubleshooting costs. For example, suppose that in a new building under construction, the design calls for some of the fiber to be routed through elevator shafts. After construction is complete, it turns out that the elevator motors produce more electrical noise than expected. If copper had been used for the in-building system, expensive, timeconsuming changes might be required in order to work around that interference. But fiber is unaffected by the electrical noise. Additionally, a system capable of supporting singleand multi-mode fiber offers increased flexibility. Its not uncommon for both types to be available in the same facility, depending on its age and the number of IT projects over the years. So support for both major types provides flexibility and reduces the need for pulling new fiber within or between buildings on a campus. The ability to mix and match single-mode and multi-mode fiber provide design flexibility and cost savings.
Ensuring Flexibility for Future Growth Part of the reason for deploying an in-building wireless system is to support mobile usage as next generation devices and mobile offices proliferate. As a result, the system should be flexible and scalable in order to accommodate increased usage and growth as RF coverage and capacity needs change. One way to achieve that flexibility is by using expansions, which make it easy to grow the system coverage. Expansion or Remote units may be added as an application grows. Figure 1 illustrates this design. Service Expansion A system can expand in two ways. First, the coverage area may grow. This requires a solution that can accommodate additional equipment added to the infrastructure to distribute RF in areas that were not included in the original design. For example, adding coverage to a parking garage, basement, or other area of a building. Adding capacity is more complex a matter. If adding additional frequencies to a system is required, your solution will need to support the additional capacity via the equipment already in place. In those circumstances, the initial RF plan should consider not only the capacity needs today, but what growth could be expected in the coming years. If that is not done, the footprint of each antenna coverage area may shrink and additional equipment and infrastructure may be required-ultimately adding cost. Finally, if a system requires an addition of a frequency not supported by the initial design, a solution that accommodates that added frequency and the cable backbone is most desirable.
RU RU
RU RU
RU RU
RU RU
RU RU
RU RU
Expansion Unit
RU RU RU RU
Expansion Unit
Growth Multimode Fiber
Singlemode Fiber
SM
SM
MM
MM
Host Unit
BTS/Off Air Interface
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Support for Multiple Technologies Some in-building wireless projects require support for multiple air interfaces or service providers (known as host-neutral systems). As a result, it is often desired for example that the in-building system, bring in signals from CDMA and GSM base stations through a common platform. The determination on whether or not to load power amplifiers with multiple protocols and carriers versus using dedicated or separate power amplifiers affects cost, performance and installation. Table 2 summarizes the key attributes of service providers sharing power amplifiers and using discrete amplifiers. It is important to note that discrete may refer to systems separated by individual frequency band OR separated by wireless service provider. Separating systems by wireless service provider offers the carrier control over the signal distribution as their competitors make changes to the macro (the RF feeding the DAS) and alarm and management functions. Table 2: Key Attributes of Shared and Discrete Power Amplifier Designs
Wireless Service Provider Shared Amplifier Often requires more remote locations based on channel loading; which increases material, equipment, and labor costs Design built upon the worstcase coverage scenario; adds costs but may accommodate future growth Wireless Service Provider Discrete Amplifier Fewer number of cable runs and remotes required BUT higher number of terminations Each Service Provider owns their own system or has the ability to monitor and manage their portion and is not impacted by actions of other Service Providers Minimize equipment costs today and add materials as necessary to support subsequent Service Providers OR additional capacity (carriers) without affecting existing coverage and may be deployed incrementally Facilitates ease of interference mitigation by managing discrete remotes and antenna locations Possible antenna farm
It is important to note that there are several system architectures available: Discrete or narrowband systems that can be overlaid for multiband applications Multiband systems that offer dedicated power amplifiers but share packaging, mechanical, cable, power and other system functions Wideband systems that utilize a single transport pipe and power amplifier for all RF, which are typically difficult to manage and do not offer high quality performance characteristics You partner can model an application both ways to illustrate your design options and total cost of solution.
Costs are typically divided equally, not factored based on the proportion of total power required
Interference mitigation issues may require lowering of power, resulting in additional cost Single wide-band antenna
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To address this, U.S. Cellular installed ADCs Digivance RF Transport System to redistribute RF signals within the complex. ADC designed and installed a system of 27 remote units throughout the bottom three floors, all linked through Expansion units to the Host Unit with fiber optic cables. Except for a small amount of cabling within the complex, U.S. Cellular funded the entire project. The Benefits With the macro site covering the top five floors and the Digivance in-building system covering the bottom three floors, cell phones could operate at lower power throughout the UW Hospital facilities. That reduced the risk of cellular interference with hospital equipment, a key consideration. US Cellular chose ADCs Digivance RF Transport System for several reasons: A fiber-centric design. Copper cables have distance limitations, which make them impractical for large projects with long runs, as was the case at UW Hospital. Within the building, there were so many floors and special areas to cover, including stairwells and hallways, that we needed the longer reach of a fiber system, said Ken Drake, Senior RF Engineer at U.S. Cellular. A related issue for the macro site was the distance limitation of a coax feeder cable. Flexibility. U.S. Cellular also was attracted to Digivances design flexibility. Digivance is one of the few indoor systems that does not require a home run to a central location for each DRU and antenna, said Al Remondini, RF Design Engineer at U.S. Cellular. Instead of a home run topology, DEUs are installed throughout the complex, each of which serve up to six DRUs and antennas. ADC designed the UW Hospital in-building system so that each DEU had one open port, allowing easy addition of another antenna or DEU, for multiple antennas.
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This daisy chain topology works because as the only all-digital RF transport system on the market today, Digivance can perfectly replicate the digitized RF signal over each port on each DEU and DRU throughout the system. This flexibility directly benefits U.S. Cellular and UW Hospital. No matter how much you test, you always find coverage issues after turn-up because of the unique construction characteristics of each building, Drake said. It is a lot easier to add coverage with Digivance, both in terms of cabling and man hours, than with other systems. Ease of macrocellular integration. Although one sector of the three-sector macro site atop UW Hospital could be easily located just outside the equipment room, the other two sectors needed to be placed on the other side of the building, approximately 2,000 feet away. That distance was well beyond what coax could handle, but it was a relatively short span for the Digivance RF Transport System, which supports hops of up to 12 miles without the attenuation issues that plague coax-based systems. As a result, Digivance gave U.S. Cellular more flexibility in terms of site selection. Turnkey solution. ADC also provided design and installation of both fiber and equipment for the Digivance in-building and macro system. The digital transport and modularity allowed for faster installation which translated into lower installation costs and a more rapid time to market. The installation went very smoothly, Remondini said. There were no complaints, which says a lot when you consider that they (ADC) had to work in sensitive areas in a 24x7 environment.
Future-proofing. Since the system went live, U.S. Cellular has added two more Digivance macro systems to accommodate its new CDMA network alongside its existing TDMA and analog networks. Although Digivance accommodates any modulation standard, U.S. Cellular was unable to combine the systems because of their antennas limitations. Digivance also was able to accommodate UW Hospitals new construction, including new surgical wards. Business models. The Digivance system allowed U.S. Cellular to create an in-building rate plan for UW Hospital employees. This benefit helps U.S. Cellular attract and retain these high-ARPU customers and drive additional revenue.
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Cellular Coverage Requirements Some public facilities rely solely on wireless service carriers to deploy and manage in-building systems. However, as part of its wireless neutral-host strategy, HAIA chose to build its own system. The objective is to ensure the highest quality service and coverage for both cellular and public safety systems, along with the ability to add new services as they became available. Although several companies supply in-building wireless systems, HAIAs evaluation team worked directly with cellular carriers for over a year to select, design, and implement a system that would meet everyones needs. We wanted a proven system that would support multiple providers a system that had the carriers confidence, says Lyttle. We actually had weekly meetings with Cingular, Nextel, T-Mobile, metroPCS, Verizon and other carriers during our evaluation of technology options to make sure their requirements were met. As with most in-building systems, the deployment included on-site base stations from cellular carriers. These base stations are located in the airports new telecommunications hotel, and the wireless signals would be propagated from them throughout the airport via a distributed antenna system (DAS). Given the size of the facility, the HAIA team wanted a DAS that could distribute wireless coverage evenly, without signal loss, regardless of the distance from the carrier base station. In addition, the team wanted a system that could easily support the airports high customer volume and could be cost-effectively deployed and upgraded to support additional capacity and new wireless services.
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The Solution The evaluation team eventually chose the InterReach Unison system. The Unsion system uses a familiar hub-and-spoke architecture, much like that of an Ethernet LAN. At HAIA, the deployment involved eight separate Unison systems that included 36 Main Hubs, 96 Expansion Hubs, over 500 active Remote Access Units (RAUs), and more than 700 ceiling-mounted antennas. Due to its size (one of the largest systems in the world) and a design change during deployment, installation and testing of the Unison system took about six months. It went live in mid-January 2006.
System Performance and Customer Satisfaction The Unison system now delivers clear, high-quality voice and data services to every area of the airport, including ticket lobbies, baggage handling areas, gates, and throughout the underground passenger transportation system. It currently handles traffic for all wireless subscribers as well as the airports public safety workforce. With a current capacity of nearly 70,000 calls per hour, HAIAs travelers can use their time more productively for untethered voice and data calling. Already, Verizon has deployed its new 3G mobile data service (using EV-DO) for users of its wireless laptop cards, who are enjoying connection speeds of up to 900 Kbps. The other carriers are planning high-speed data service upgrades as well. The new system has also eliminated coverage gaps for security personnel, ensuring continuous contact in elevators, stairwells, or anywhere else in the facility. Now at the completion of its telecommunications upgrade program, HAIA boasts a cellular wireless infrastructure with service and coverage second to nonean asset that's only fitting for the world's largest passenger airport. Thanks to ongoing improvements and premium technology partners, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is poised to continue its industry leadership.
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We knew there were some major dead spots inside the hotel where coverage was either weak or non-existent because we had had complaints from guests and our own team members, said Vollmer. When the carriers offered to install a system to eliminate them, we were all for it. Selecting The Right System A typical in-building wireless system incorporates an on-site carrier base station plus a hub, distribution cabling, and remote antennas that supply distributed coverage. There are several choices in in-building wireless systems, but the Venetians cellular providers had some very specific technical requirements: The system had to accommodate any carrier, so it had to support iDEN, GSM, CDMA, and TDMA protocols at both 800 and 1900 MHz frequencies. The system had to allow each carrier to separately manage its infrastructure. The system had to accommodate future enhancements such as high-speed data. The system had to offer the highest possible performance to minimize battery drain for handheld phone users. The system had to have end-to-end alarming so that problems such as malfunctioning antennas could immediately be spotted and fixed. The system had to preserve the hotels aesthetics. The system had to be cost-effective to install, with minimal disruption to guests. Based on these criteria, the carriers chose the MetroReach and LGCell systems. The systems active architecture easily supports any number of carriers with high performance, independent management, and low installation costs. While other systems required rigid coaxial cabling over which wireless signals degraded with distance, for example, the LGCell system delivered exactly the same level of performance at all remote antennas, no matter how far they are from their expansion hub. In addition, systems based on coax cabling do not offer end-to-end management. Finally, the deployment costs were far lower with LGCell because it could use standard fiber and Ethernet cabling (including some existing cabling), and required no special training or equipment to install.
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Deployment and Maintenance Over a period of about two months, the carriers installed individual base stations in the Venetians Campanile Tower (where they also provide outdoor coverage on the Las Vegas Strip in front of the hotel) as well as one (for AT&T Wireless) in its IT data center. A separate MetroReach system and LGCell Main Hubs (located in the hotels IT data center) deliver signals from each carriers base stations. From each Main Hub, carrier technicians ran fiber optic cabling up building risers to connect with distributed Expansion Hubs on each floor. From each expansion hub, standard CAT-5 Ethernet cabling was run to each remote, ceiling-mounted antenna. In all, the system includes more than 80 hubs and more than 200 antennas to provide coverage in all hotel rooms, restaurants, gaming areas, theaters, Grand Canal shops, and other facilities. The flush-mount antennas in the ceiling have been painted to blend in seamlessly with the frescoes that are part of the hotels dcor. Since each carriers system has its own base station, hubs, and antennas, each carrier can remotely monitor and manage its system. When theres a problem, the carrier sends out a service technician to fix it. Due to recent mergers and acquisitions, the carriers managing equipment at the Venetian today include Sprint/Nextel, Verizon, Cingular, and T-Mobile. Since its installation, the system has quietly provided full coverage and outstanding performance. We dont realize how well this works until an antenna goes down or theres a problem with an expansion hub, says Vollmer. Then we get complaints. As far as Im concerned, in-building wireless is no longer a nice-tohave feature; its a must-have feature. There used to be a rumor that the hotels would never allow cell phones in casinos, but now people cant live without their Black Berry devices and cell phones, no matter where they are.
Flexibility and Performance Over time, the flexibility and performance offered by MetroReach and LGCell have allowed for fast and trouble-free upgrades. For example, when Sprint and Verizon upgraded their base stations to deliver higherspeed EV-DO data services and Cingular upgraded to support UMTS services in Las Vegas, they all did so without having to upgrade any of the LGCell hubs or antennas. It will be just as easy to upgrade to HSDPA services when Cingular rolls out this service in Las Vegas. Comprehensive, reliable cellular coverage is a given at major resorts like the Venetian Resort Hotel Casino, and now guests and hotel team members get such coverage.
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Appendix
Acronym Key You will encounter many acronyms throughout this document. Although they will be defined along the way, the following acronym key is provided as an ongoing reference tool. ARPU Average revenue per user
ICS In-building Coverage Solution; Refers to ADC in-building mobile wireless coverage products IF Intermediate Frequency MHz Megahertz MMW
Quality of service RF
dB Decibel
FSO Free Space Optics GSM Global System for Mobile communications; 2G digital standard. Host Module that interfaces to the BTS or BDA and Remote(s)
Wideband Code Division Multiple Access; 3G mobile wireless protocol WDM Wave Division Multiplexing
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Final Design Day 1 Day 2 Day 16 Day 17 Day 22 Day 25 Day 28 Receipt of PO Kick-off meeting/ scheduling Delivery of Product & Material Installation Commissioning/ on-Site Acceptance As-built documentation Acceptance
*This outlines a typical project flow and timing may vary based on project size and complexity.
Summary
ADC offers the broadest portfolio of in-building solutions available with products that scale for facility size, offer multiple transport options, and may be used in conjunction with one another to provide an performance and economically optimized solution based on your individual application's needs. For more information, please contact 800-366-3891 ext. 73008 or visit www.adc.com/inbuildingwireless.
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Website: www.adc.com
From North America, Call Toll Free: 1-800-366-3891 Outside of North America: +1-952-938-8080 Fax: +1-952-917-3237 For a listing of ADCs global sales office locations, please refer to our website.
ADC Telecommunications, Inc., P.O. Box 1101, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA 55440-1101 Specifications published here are current as of the date of publication of this document. Because we are continuously improving our products, ADC reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice. At any time, you may verify product specifications by contacting our headquarters office in Minneapolis. ADC Telecommunications, Inc. views its patent portfolio as an important corporate asset and vigorously enforces its patents. Products or features contained herein may be covered by one or more U.S. or foreign patents. An Equal Opportunity Employer 105493AE 3/08 Revision 2008, 2007 ADC Telecommunications, Inc. All Rights Reserved