BROADBAND COMMUNITIES is the leading source of information on digital and broadband technologies for buildings and communities. Our editorial aims to accelerate the deployment of Fiber-To-The-Home and Fiber-To-The-Premises.
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20 | BROADBAND COMMUNITIES | www.broadbandcommunities.com | MAY/JUNE 2014 WIRELESS DEPLOYMENT providing IP backhaul infrastructure that serves, for example, small cells and devices such as surveillance cameras. Inside the Shard, the DAS uses the existing backbone infrastructure, taking the signal from a local BTS (base station) hotel located in the basement. An optical master unit converts RF signals and transmits them via fber optic cables to 23 remote repeaters located on various levels of the building to provide the cellular signal. Te remote repeaters use a network of antennas to distribute the radio signal across diferent sectors of the building. To power the building service communications, the UHF base stations in the basement connect to a radio frequency (RF) combiner. Tis provides a point of interface for the Shard's radio services to the optical master system and has the capability to be expanded to carry further UHF radio services, thus future-proofng the system. One of the biggest considerations during the design phase was how to minimize interference (or "noise") on the coverage network. To combat noise, Axell Wireless modeled a robust architecture plan that took into account the relative power of the remote optical units and the requirements of each coverage sector. Tis plan enabled the company to select the right mix of high-power and lower-power remotes and design the exact layout of the infrastructure to bring network noise down to a minimum. ON TOP OF THE WORLD Given the overall investment in the world's most prestigious venues, the success of network implementations is not just expected – it is demanded. Axell's network needed to solve the twin problems of the Shard's height and its construction materials, both of which weakened wireless signals from outside the building. Te radio coverage in the Shard was checked as part of the commissioning process and was found to be perfectly in line with the system performance modeled by Axell and specifed in its design. As a multiband, multioperator system, Axell Wireless Fiber DAS works in any frequency combination required. Tis fexibility means that systems are able to cope with growth as and when it is required. Compared with other systems, Fiber DAS also needs less equipment to be deployed, which results in a smaller in-building footprint, signifcant cost savings (both operational and capital), and a much simpler, easier-to-manage network. Tose unfamiliar with the intricacies of mobile networks might easily imagine that the best place to get great mobile reception is at the top of a city's tallest building. In fact, if the building does not have a modern, efective wireless infrastructure, this would be one of the worst places to make a call or send an email – which confused and frustrated people in the early days of mobile networks. Now, thanks to the Axell Wireless network, the Shard's residents can enjoy perfect reception at 1,000 feet and feel on top of the world. v Moti Shalev is director of product management at Axell Wireless, a leading worldwide developer and manufacturer of wireless coverage equipment and associated solutions. Axell Wireless has a strong heritage of providing wireless coverage for many types of in-building networks and for transport networks. Top to bottom: Wireless signals are received by a rooftop antenna, fed to an optical master unit and distributed to repeaters via a fber backbone; a base station hotel may be located in a basement or (in this case) outside a building; a remote base station unit at the tower feeds a base station hotel in the basement. BBC_May14.indd 20 5/29/14 9:15 AM