RENT Magazine Q2 '21

commercial buildings under 1,000,000 sq. ft. The system delivers a cellular signal that is up to 1000x stronger for all major carriers simultaneously, offering a much larger coverage footprint. This means that strong cellular coverage can reach inside the apartment units, elevators, stairwells, and other common areas from the system’s Coverage Units (CUs) – the internal antennas that distribute signal to occupants – which can be discreetly and conveniently installed in hallways. As the system uses Ethernet cabling and delivers power to the CUs through the cables, it eliminated the need to install additional power outlets. This is another key factor that makes the system installation faster and less costly. When public safety and commercial cellular amplification solutions are installed in the same facility, issues frequently arise from interference caused by the signals from each system. This problem usually needs to be resolved by placing large cavity filters between the head end of the two systems and the remote units. These filters cost between $1,000 to $2,000 and many would be needed

building, so we let them know at some point they would also need a cellular booster,” says Jose Morales, System Engineer at Powernet. As every apartment building owner knows, residents now also demand good cellular coverage for routine communications inside their units, and in the building elevators, stairwells, and garages. Cellular coverage inside an apartment building can also have a major impact on occupancy rates. Regulations across the country prohibit the same systems from being used to amplify both public safety and general cellular communications signals. This meant a separate system had to be installed by Powernet to resolve the poor cellular coverage in the building.

“When we were about two- thirds through with installing the public safety system, it was clear that the cellular coverage gaps needed to be fixed right away. When the walls went up, they lost virtually all of their signal indoors,” says Morales. “They had a lot of glass and metal in the new construction that blocked signal. So we began installing Cel-Fi QUATRA 4000 while completing the public safety system installation.” Better Cellular Coverage, Easier Installation Cel-Fi QUATRA 4000 is a hybrid active Distributed Antenna System (DAS) that is designed specifically to address the challenges of poor voice quality, dropped calls, and dead zones in large multi-unit or other

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