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By Magnus Friberg
Wireless coverage has become a must-have amenity
for today’s building and facility managers. Many new projects, whether
they’re retrofit or new construction, are incorporating a facility-wide
wireless infrastructure. Reflecting this trend, a December 2006 study from
ABI Research projects that deployments of in-building wireless systems that
extend and develop wireless coverage indoors are expected to create revenues
in excess of $3.6 billion by 2011.
What’s this all about? Across the board, from large arenas, convention
centers and airports to office buildings, hospitals, casinos and university
complexes, organizations recognize that a state-of-the-art facility must
include comprehensive wireless coverage. The occupants of these facilities —
the visitors, guests, customers and staff — are all part of the wireless
generation. They simply expect their cell phones, BlackBerry devices and
other wireless gear to work, independent of where they are in the facility.
For facility managers to satisfy these expectations and maintain their
organization’s competitive edge, they need to ensure that robust signal
coverage is available for all wireless services throughout their properties.
Making it Work
Somewhat ironically, wires are needed to make wireless work inside a
facility, regardless of whether one is deploying Wi-Fi or carrier-based
services. In general, the heavy construction materials used in most modern
structures tend to impede the propagation of RF signals, resulting in weak
signal coverage in some or all areas of a facility.
Overcoming these limitations requires an in-building wireless infrastructure
— a cable-based transport facility that distributes RF signals from their
sources, such as Wi-Fi access points or carrier-provided equipment, to
strategically located antennas that radiate the signals throughout the
desired areas of the property. There are a variety of deployment models for
these in-building wireless solutions. In the past, organizations often dealt
with their wireless requirements reactively, deploying ad-hoc systems on the
fly as requirements for wireless service coverage materialized. Ultimately,
though, this fragmented approach creates significant financial strains and
operational inefficiencies.
First of all, installing new wireless systems on an as-needed basis is
costly and highly disruptive to day-to-day operations.
Secondly, the absence of a single, well-coordinated installation plan leaves
open the strong possibility of generating interference between wireless
systems, which can significantly degrade performance and further complicate
the process of going wireless.
A Universal Solution
To avoid these pitfalls, facility managers must take a more
deliberate and strategic approach to incorporating a wireless
infrastructure. Rather than deploying multiple disparate systems, the
facility management team should pursue a universal solution — a single,
flexible infrastructure over which they can support their entire portfolio
of wireless services and applications.
A multi-service solution overcomes in-building coverage barriers, ensuring
pervasive coverage and reliable performance for multiple services,
throughout a facility. Moreover, a properly implemented system will have
built-in interference mitigation and will readily adapt to evolving
requirements, enabling the facility to add new wireless services and
applications easily and cost-effectively, without disrupting work spaces or
interrupting existing services.
Facility managers pursuing an in-building wireless system should seek
solutions with the following characteristics:
• Universal. A
single wireless infrastructure that will provide facility-wide
coverage for a full spectrum of wireless applications and services
including cellular services from multiple wireless operators, Wi-Fi,
public safety services and more.
• Adaptable. Enables facility managers to transparently
activate new wireless services at any time, without disrupting
business operations or rewiring the building.
• Intelligent. The solutions should be constructed with
active, intelligent elements that can be proactively monitored from
end to end.
With a universal wireless system in place,
facilities can support all of their current wireless communications needs
while maintaining the flexibility to accommodate new, perhaps unanticipated,
future wireless requirements. This approach brings value to all of the
facility’s constituents, from the facility staff and visitors, to customers
and occupants, to operations and IT administrators, and to security
personnel and first responders.
Test Cases
The University of Phoenix Stadium, the new 1.7 million-sq.-ft. home of the
Arizona Cardinals in Glendale, Ariz., exemplifies this new trend of
incorporating comprehensive wireless solutions in best-of-breed facilities.
With more than one million visitors expected in its first year alone, the
Arizona Cardinals wanted to deliver a state-of-the- art, first class
experience for everyone involved in events at the stadium. The organization
sought an infrastructure that would enable players, staff, media and fans to
use their cell phones and other wireless devices throughout the facility.
A universal wireless network offered the perfect fit for a project of this
scope and magnitude. Installed during stadium construction, the system
significantly improved wireless communication and public safety for stadium
visitors and employees. With a universal wireless solution, the Arizona
Cardinals are able to ensure reliable wireless coverage for Alltel,
Sprint/Nextel, Cingular, Verizon and T-Mobile services, and provide WLAN
connectivity and improved reception for radio systems utilized by public
safety officials. In addition, the system’s unique modularity allows the
stadium to easily and cost-effectively scale and add new wireless services,
without adding cables or disrupting stadium operations.
"Facility managers need
to ensure that
robust signal coverage is available for all wireless
services throughout their properties."
The Peppermill Hotel Casino in Reno, Nevada,
embarked on an in-building wireless project to enhance the overall
experience of its guests. The 860,000 sq.-ft. complex features more than
1,100 guest rooms and luxury suites, two sprawling levels of world-class
gaming options, eight restaurants, 14 themed bars, a spa area and live
entertainment in the Casino Cabaret. With such a variety of rooms throughout
the three-building complex, Peppermill wanted a flexible coverage solution
that could reliably deliver the wireless service combinations required by
each unique facility space and its associated patrons.
Thinking strategically, Peppermill selected an integrated approach that
would be more cost-effective than deploying multiple parallel systems for
each individual wireless service. Just as important was the modular
packaging of the universal wireless solution; Peppermill executives realized
that the system could easily expand indoor wireless coverage areas and add
new wireless services without disrupting public spaces, affecting guests or
impacting existing services.
One of the many important features of this solution is that all managed
elements, including Cisco WLAN Access Points (APs), are located in secure
telecommunications closets, which simplifies routine maintenance activities,
improves management and preserves the aesthetics of casino interiors.
“We’re committed to providing our guests with the highest level of luxury
and convenience. Central to this mission is ensuring they can use the latest
wireless technology as easily and reliably inside our world-class facility
as they have come to expect outside,” says Bill Hughes, director of
marketing operations at Peppermill Hotel Casino. “This single, universal
wireless solution allows us to enhance our guests’ experience by offering
seamless access to wireless voice and data services and, by improving our
own internal communications, it enables our staff to offer the highest level
of service and security.”
By planning ahead and incorporating a dynamic, cutting-edge wireless network
infrastructure into their facilities, both the University of Phoenix Stadium
and the Peppermill Hotel Casino avoided unnecessary complications and
expenses. As a result, both not only have access to wireless voice and data
services throughout their facilities, but they have also gained a
competitive advantage over their peers in the large-scale entertainment
venue space. Perhaps most importantly, both facilities have built a
future-proof foundation, giving them the flexibility to capitalize on
emerging wireless services and technologies as they become available.
Magnus Friberg is COO of
MobileAccess Networks, a leading provider of universal wireless
solutions, based in Vienna, Va.. |
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