Poor mobile signal in an office building
Well-insulated façades and deep floor plans keep the signal out, often in the newest buildings. There is more than one way to fix it, and not all of them need new equipment.
Why the signal fails here
- Coated, energy-saving glass and good insulation block radio signals. BIPT’s guidelines point to this in new and renovated buildings.
- The core of a deep floor plan, the lifts and the basement are far from any window.
- Tenants and visitors use different operators, so fixing one network helps only some of them.
- Tenant fit-outs change walls and ceilings, and a system paid for by one tenant may have to come out when the tenant leaves.
Which system fits
Ask your operator first
Operators offer indoor solutions of their own, and it costs little to ask. This suits a tenant who mainly uses one operator.
Treat the façade
The BIPT guidelines mention materials or glass treatments that let the outdoor signal in, for small and medium buildings. It adds no capacity, and it only helps if the signal outside is good.
Repeater and antennas
An antenna on the roof picks up the outdoor signal (the donor antenna), a repeater amplifies it, and antennas on the affected floors pass it on. Fits small and medium buildings with a usable signal outside, once the operators agree.
Multi-operator DAS
A distributed antenna system (DAS): one antenna network that each operator connects to. It suits large buildings and several tenants, and it costs least when planned during design.
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.
Large new buildings may also come under the ASTRID rules, for the radios of the emergency services: see the multi-operator DAS page. Agree early who owns the system, you or your landlord, and what happens when a tenant leaves.
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
- Floor plans, and the floors or zones with a problem
- The operators your people and visitors use
- Whether you own or rent the building
- Whether it is a new build, a renovation or a building in use
- Roof access, and a place for the equipment
Common questions
Why is the signal worse in our new building?
Energy-saving glass and insulation block radio signals far better than older façades. It is common enough that the Belgian guidelines deal with it directly.
Can we just buy a booster online?
Not without the permission of each operator whose signal it carries. BIPT forbids the use of repeaters without that permission, and a label on the box does not replace it.
We only rent. Can we do this?
Yes, with the landlord’s agreement for the work. Decide who owns the system and what happens when you leave: BIPT names this as one of the common problems with indoor systems.
What about Wi-Fi calling?
If your phones and operator support it, calls and text messages can go over your Wi-Fi. BIPT notes that this is not an optimal solution for business customers and larger buildings, and it does not help visitors or devices that rely on the mobile network.
Other sites
Multi-operator DAS
How the Belgian process works: notification, operators’ answers, design, activation and maintenance.
Underground car parks
Parking and charging apps, payment terminals and emergency calls need a signal below ground.
Warehouses and industrial sites
Steel, racking and long distances, with handhelds and machines that rely on the network.
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.