By Todd Landry, Corporate Vice President of Product and Market Strategy, JMA Wireless
During Super Bowl 50, over 70,000 spectators converged on Levi’s® Stadium while hundreds of thousands of other fans watched the big game and celebrated in the many restaurants and lounges in the surrounding Santa Clara area. Just like Santa Clara, more and more metro areas across the country are transforming communities that surround sports complexes into entertainment meccas complete with not only restaurants and lounges, but also with hotels, theatres, shops and more. On almost any game day, these metro areas attract thousands of fans, which results in increased cellular coverage and capacity needs. The wireless industry uses the term, “densification,” to describe these highly populated areas of mobile users with a high demand for wireless connectivity.
So how can these new entertainment areas ensure that fans have a great wireless experience on game day? An architectural approach known as C-DAS, or Centralized Distributed Antenna System, has helped communities like Santa Clara and others to ensure robust cellular coverage and capacity no matter how many mobile phone subscribers are in the area.
With the C-DAS approach, a variety of benefits can be experienced. First, critical mobile processing equipment is centralized offsite while only the antenna and amplifier technologies are located on-premise. This type of deployment saves up to 85 percent of the onsite space normally used for housing wireless infrastructure equipment. Now this valuable onsite real estate can be used for revenue-generating activities, thereby increasing a business’ bottom line. Secondly, C-DAS can be programmed to easily move capacity into different areas of the community as needed, resulting in better utilization of spectrum. For example, the capacity dedicated to an office building during a weekday can be shifted to provide additional cellular coverage and capacity for fans during a game on the weekend or in the evening during the week. Finally, the C-DAS architecture easily provides support for multiple operations and multiple bands.
The C-DAS architecture is not only optimal for communities around sports venues, but areas surrounding large shopping malls are deploying it as well. This approach also is ideal for large manufacturing complexes or medical campuses. All types of communities are viewing C-DAS as the smart alternative for providing robust cellular coverage and capacity.
The second deployment phase for Mexico City’s Toreo Parque Central shopping mall (pictured above) will include a C-DAS that will provide wireless coverage not only for the mall but also for a hotel and office building in the surrounding area.
About JMA Wireless
JMA Wireless is the leading global innovator in mobile wireless connectivity solutions that ensure infrastructure reliability, streamline service operations, and maximize wireless performance. Employing powerful, patented innovations their solutions portfolio is proven to lower the cost of operations while ensuring lifetime quality levels in equipment and unrivaled performance for coverage and high-speed mobile data. JMA Wireless solutions cover macro infrastructure, outdoor and indoor distributed antenna systems and small cell solutions. JMA Wireless corporate headquarters are located in Liverpool, NY, with manufacturing, R&D, and sales operations in over 20 locations worldwide. For more information visit jmawireless.com or follow JMA Wireless on Twitter at @JMAwireless