Mobile and radio coverage for warehouses and industrial sites
Steel cladding, full racking and long distances keep the signal out, while handhelds, machines and alarm systems depend on it.
Why the signal fails here
- Steel roofs and cladding block the outdoor signal, and full racks block it again inside the hall.
- Coverage changes with the stock, so a measurement in an empty hall says little.
- Handhelds, vehicle terminals, alarm dialers and machines often use the mobile network, and they fail without warning at the edge of coverage.
- A site may be spread over several buildings and yards, far from the nearest mast.
Which system fits
Repeater and panel antennas
A donor antenna on the roof, and antennas mounted high along the aisles. Fits one or two halls with a usable signal outside, once the operators agree.
Fibre-fed remote units
One signal source and remote units in each building or yard, connected by fibre. Fits sites where the distances are too long for coaxial cable.
Antennas and passives only
If an operator or another party supplies the signal source, we supply the antennas, splitters and combiners for the distribution.
Who has to agree
These rules apply in Belgium. In other countries the principle is usually the same, but ask the local operator.
Mobile operators
A repeater or DAS may only carry a mobile network with the permission of that network’s operator, and a system that carries several networks needs the permission of each operator. Only operators may activate active equipment in their bands, and BIPT only allows repeaters that operators install themselves or accept responsibility for. The Belgian regulator BIPT explains this on its website. The agreement therefore comes before anything is bought or switched on.
ASTRID, the radio network of the emergency services
For new large buildings and infrastructure, a Safety Commission under the FPS Interior decides whether indoor ASTRID coverage is required. The building owner then signs an agreement with ASTRID, the design goes to ASTRID for review, and ASTRID inspects the installation before it connects. The owner then sends ASTRID a maintenance report every year. ASTRID’s review only confirms that its network is not disturbed, not that coverage is sufficient. ASTRID describes the procedure on its website (in Dutch and French).
ASTRID only accepts repeaters and base stations it has validated. The models in our catalogue are not on the list ASTRID has published (January 2024 version), so for a project on its network we check the current list with you before anything is specified.
Among the criteria ASTRID lists are works with a ground surface above 2,500 m², publicly accessible or not, and underground spaces larger than 25 m² that store dangerous substances. Zones with an explosive atmosphere need specifically rated equipment: tell us at the start, because standard models cannot be used there.
How a project runs
- 01
Measure
Signal per operator and band in each zone, and the outdoor signal where a donor antenna could go.
- 02
Choose the route
A solution from the operator, a repeater or a DAS: this depends on the size of the site, the signal available outside and the number of operators.
- 03
Design
Antenna positions, cable routes, a link budget (the calculation of signal levels from source to antenna) and the equipment list.
- 04
Request the agreements
Technical information for each operator and, where needed, for ASTRID. Nothing is ordered or switched on until each of them has agreed.
- 05
Supply and install
Equipment with a test record per unit. Your installer does the work, or a contractor agreed with you for the project.
- 06
Commission and maintain
Measuring the signal on foot through the site (walk test) against the design, and handover documents. Regular maintenance follows under its own contract, with your installer or a maintenance firm.
If you own or manage the site
- Send us the plans and tell us where the signal fails. You do not need to know the technology.
- We measure, propose a route and tell you which agreements it needs, scoped and quoted per project.
- We prepare the technical information each operator asks for: bands, gain, output power and location.
- Installation is done by your own installer, or by a contractor agreed with you for the project.
- Ask your main operator as well: operators also offer indoor solutions of their own.
If you are the integrator
- Product selection for the site, from the catalogue or to a build specification.
- Support on link budgets, DAS layouts, measurements and commissioning: see engineering support.
- A test record with every unit, and one contracting party in Brussels.
- Your own product line if you need one: see OEM / ODM.
What to send us
- Site plan, and the halls or yards to cover
- Roof and wall construction, and rack height
- Devices that need the network, and the operators they use
- Fibre and power available between buildings
- Any zones with an explosive atmosphere
Common questions
Does the stock really change coverage?
Yes. Pallets of metal or liquid block the signal far more than empty racks, so the design assumes full racks and antennas are placed high along the aisles.
Our devices use one operator. Is that simpler?
Often, yes: only that operator has to agree. Do check what visitors, drivers and contractors need too, so that you do not build twice.
Can it also carry a private network or radio?
Yes, if the antenna system is designed for those bands. Tell us about any private network or DMR, TETRA or PMR radio at the start.
What if there is no usable signal on the site at all?
Then a repeater has nothing to amplify. The signal has to come from a base station or a fibre link, which only the operator can arrange, so we would raise it with them first.
Other sites
Tunnels
Road, rail and metro. Mobile networks and TETRA, usually with radiating cable and fibre-fed remote units.
Underground car parks
Parking and charging apps, payment terminals and emergency calls need a signal below ground.
Office buildings
Insulated façades and deep floor plans block the signal. Tenants use different operators.
Tell us about the site
A few answers are enough for a first product selection.
Planning a product line under your own brand? Use the OEM / ODM form.
- A product selection for the site
- A first link budget where the site needs one
- The list of what we still need from you, such as floor plans or donor measurements
You can attach floor plans here, or send them by email later.