CellAntenna Corporation designed and installed a fiber Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for a major hotel chain with over 550 locations. The DAS was needed to address poor cellular coverage within the hotel building in Orlando, which is common in hotels due to construction materials blocking signals. The system provided coverage over 290,000 square feet using a main hub and six remote units connected to 30 ceiling antennas. The DAS solution benefits guests and the hotel by enabling constant communication via cell phones and ensuring seamless coverage for conferences and business meetings.

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CellAntenna.com
U.S. Headquarters | CellAntenna Corporation | 12453 NW 44th Street | Coral Springs, FL 33065
Tel. 954-340-7053 | Fax 954-340-9086
The Customer
CellAntenna Corporation was commissioned by a major hotel chain with over 550 locations worldwide to help one of its properties
in Orlando to develop a fiber Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint PCS, Nextel and Verizon Wireless. The
system we designed would utilize the existing fiber backbone already installed as part of the initial construction of the building.
The Challenge
Hotels notoriously are some of the worst environments for radio frequency (RF) coverage. Due to the age, size and density of the
buildings they experiece poor signal penetaration and due to the height they are challenged with multi-path – signal distribution by
multiple pathways causing poor signal quality. Poured concrete pan construction of new hotels also tends to keep signals out, and
the reflective glass that is designed to increase energy efficiency by keeping heat and cooling from leaving the building also tends to
keep cellular signals from penetrating into the building environment. Just as the use of wireless local area networks (LANs) is
exploding in hospitality, so is the use of mobile phones, broadband adapters for laptops, and handhelds such as Blackberries and
iPhones/iPads.
The Solution
The property that required the Distributed Antenna System (DAS) was
located in a heavily populated area of Orlando. Due to the environment it
was critical that the carrier’s coverage within the building was
uninterrupted and built to a strict requirement to ensure seamless
communication for guest and out of town business conferences.
The system provided coverage for over 290,000 square feet on the ground
floor. This consisted of a main hub unit which used six optical remote units
for signal distribution. The total system included 30 ceiling mounted
distribution antennas which were strategically placed to combat the
building construction challenges.
The Benefit
The driver behind most DAS deployments is guest/revenue loss prevention as well as guest convenience and satisfaction. Today,
business travelers, especially conference goers, have come to depend on their cell phones as their primary means of communication
while staying at a hotel.
Ideally, the DAS solution also wirelessly enables guests and could provide wireless Internet access throughout the hotel property.
This combined solution obtains the most financial benefit in a new property, as most properties have already accounted for the cost
for their high speed internet access systems.
Hotel guests and executive staff increasingly need to stay in constant communication via either their cellphone, Blackberry, or a
tablet device like an iPad. Hospitality amenity applications are also coming online in such areas as room service, bar code scanning
and concierge check-in services.
Many forces are driving this trend toward enhanced in-building wireless communication. New ordinances are being enacted that
may or will require cellular and or public safety coverage for new building construction. In certain parts of the country a Certificate
of Occupancy may not be issued to any structure if the building fails to offer adequate coverage.
CASE STUDY - HOSPITALITY