I attended another multi-family technology conference last week. As always, cell phone service was a hot
topic. Everyone hopes as time passes and technology improves, there
will be new solutions to make things easier and better. While technology is improving every year, the consumption of
service and end user demand increases even faster. Bandwidth and spectrum are the constraints and since that is
the case, solution development, deployment platforms and execution are ever
changing. Having worked in conjunction with the cell phone service
development industry since 1997, the one constant is continual change. While most attendees were hoping for a simple solution, deep
down, at some level, they all knew that there wasn't one.
Here are the questions and concerns that were raised with
respect to planning for in-building cell phone service.
- Is the service provider upgrading service or adding new cell sites near your project? If so, when? How will they impact my project?
- Will a consumer based solutions scale properly or will they make things worse?
- Will a booster based technology work properly? How far will it scale? Is it legal for you to use? What are the risks?
- Is a single provider enterprise solution right for you? How do you get one?
- How can you get service provider design approval and/or consent for your proposed solution?
- Are the service providers are willing to work with you? How much will it cost? How long with it take?
- What kinds of performance standards and contractual safeguards need to be in place?
- What manufacturers/vendors do the service providers use? Who should you use? Why?
- What kind of pathway, equipment space, power and cabling is required?
At the end of the day, the only way to get these questions
answered is to methodically go through a detailed assessment, planning and
execution process. The overall real estate development process works this way;
cell phone service is no different.
Is there a simple answer to in-building cell service issues? Yes! Get good professional help from someone who knows what they are doing and let them help you through the process.
