Restoring mobile coverage in an aged care facility
A brand-new 94-room facility had almost no mobile reception. Residents couldn't call family, staff couldn't work. Surveyed, designed and live inside two weeks.
The problem
The facility suffered a complete lack of mobile cellular coverage. Management were fielding constant complaints from staff, visitors and residents. Because mobiles and tablets were the main means of communication, residents couldn't contact family or get online, and visitors couldn't take calls on the premises. There was a cellular tower less than 2 km away, but the building's construction materials stopped the signal penetrating.
What was done
Our network engineers, project management and installation team determined the plan of action after an on-site survey. An in-building coverage system carrying 3G and 4G for all three major carriers was installed in the Level 4 communications room and connected to external antennas. Thirty-two ceiling dome antennas redistributed the signal internally through the main thoroughfares, kitchen, board room and staff rooms.
How it turned out
Survey, network design, product delivery, installation and completion were achieved within two weeks of the customer first making contact. Once live, management, staff, visitors and residents could all make calls and use the internet without interruption.
“We used to have to walk outside to make and receive phone calls. You'd have dozens of voicemails to listen to. We knew it was a big problem for us. We are very happy with the outcome of this project, and will look to work with the idatanet team for our other facilities.”
Deployed at the time
As named in the original case study. Some of it is superseded, or was never in our range.
- Signify in-building coverage system, 3G and 4G, three carriers
- External antennas into the Level 4 comms room
- 32 ceiling dome antennas
What we'd specify today
Current equivalents from our catalogue for this kind of site — not a statement about the hardware installed.
Where this came from
Transcribed from iDatanet's published case study. The source names no model numbers for the antennas or head-end equipment. The products listed are the passive RF distribution hardware we stock for this class of in-building system — couplers, splitters, arrestors, loads and patch leads — not a claim about the parts used here. The phrase "70% capacity coverage" is the source's own wording.