Mobile device users rarely leave their homes without their smartphones or tablets. Consumers have come to expect dependable, steady and robust cellular and data connectivity no matter where they are. However, most of us have experienced the frustration of losing a signal inside a building and being cut off from friends, family and work communications at critical times. Wireless signals don’t always permeate the buildings they’re intended to service. Now, government agencies, enterprises, and community institutions are looking to solve this problem with distributed antenna systems (DASs).
January of 2016, ABI Research found that in-building mobile data traffic will increase over 600 percent, reaching 53 exabytes (1 billion billion) per month worldwide in 2020. What segments are affected most by this trend? Colleges and universities, sports venues, medical campuses, transportation hubs and hotels are all candidates for DAS implementation.
According to Mobile Experts, sales of enterprise applications will account for more than $3 billion of the total DAS and small cell market in 2021. Wireless service providers stand to make a significant profit by adding DAS equipment to their products and services. Providers looking to take advantage of this trend might start with an anchor institution, such as:
- Local stadiums
- Malls or shopping centers
- Airports or subways
- High-rise office complexes
- Hotels
- Industrial buildings
- Hospitals
Some providers might even install a number of outdoor cells throughout their communities to benefit the population as a whole. The model of a municipally-owned DAS makes sense particularly in communities that have their own fiber networks.
Deploying DAS in your community means more ubiquitous broadband coverage and a seamless user experience. To share your ideas on the possibilities of distributed antenna systems, email us at marketing@mapcom.com.