Jul 4, 2015

The Cellular DAS: The Basics

By Edna Booker


The Distributed Antenna System (DAS) is the technology that is used to boost network coverage in areas where there is either no coverage or areas with weak coverage. In order to achieve this, the technology relies on a clustered installation of antennas for boosting the cellular network. The system is common in large facilities, underground transport systems, and in the areas with large gathering that leads to a high demand that overwhelms the available network coverage. As such, you are likely to find the cellular DAS in airports, sport arenas, large hospitals, and town city centers like Raleigh city among others.

In order to increase the signal reliability while reducing the total power required doing so, the DAS installation is made of a network consisting of several antenna nodes that are separately installed. The nodes are then connected to a single common source using fiber or a coaxial cable. This means that power is transmitted among several antenna elements which in turn reduces the power consumption and increases the network signal reliability.

The DAS systems are either active or passive. In the active systems, the signal is passed from the roof antennas through the fiber cables and the signals are boosted and amplified through the way. The passive systems on the other hands grab the cellular signals from the roof antennas and then run them through some leaky feeder cables that are located throughout the building.

In this way, the network is distributed through signal leakage. Since the transmitted power is split among a number of antenna elements that covers the same area as a single antenna, the total power required is highly reduced.

In any DAS project, the deployment stage is the most expensive. This is mainly due to the labor intensive process of antenna installation and stinging the coaxial cable or the fiber optic in between the antenna modules and the controller.

In most cases, the cost of the equipment, installation cost, maintenance cost, and upgrading of the system are all borne by the carrier. This means that a carrier is likely to accept to bear the cost if the deployment fits within its network plan and is able to cover a large number of the subscribers. In most cases, the DAS system is shared with multiple carriers to keep the cost down.

The distributed antenna systems are transparent to the mobile devices. It provides the voice services as well as data services to the mobile devices. It offers the most appropriate solution to the densely populated spaces such as the university campuses, shopping malls, sport arenas, the medical centers and the tall buildings.

The technology comes with the main advantage of less power consumption in network boosting. It is also associated with ease of zoning and antenna placement, reduced site development planning, and reduced number of the BTS (Simulcast reduces Backhaul needs).




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