As networks are being built all around the world, 5G is becoming a necessity to keep businesses running. This white paper covers how properly equipped 5G can provide fast and reliable connections for many industries and enterprises.
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EXCERPT:
THE CHANGING WORKPLACE
Wi-Fi and Ethernet networks have long provided critical connectivity for enterprises and commercial spaces, while reliable cellular service in commercial spaces was seen as only a convenience for these settings. However, advances in cellular capability have created an entirely new landscape of services that are ingrained into everyday life, making cellular service a business requirement. With the growth of IoT devices and smart vehicles, the cellular network is emerging as critical infrastructure for live feedback on integral business functions, from smart factory floors that are equipped with real-time data and predictive maintenance, to health care settings with remote patient monitoring.
Even though the technological landscape of the workplace is changing, many of the buildings in which this work takes place are ill-equipped for cellular reliability. Building materials like steel, low-e glass windows, and concrete block 5G cellular signals, which means in-building cellular service could be spotty and unreliable, if it is even present at all.
Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) are a means to bring reliable cellular connectivity into buildings. There are many types of DAS, and this paper will primarily focus on indoor DAS and the network infrastructure required to support it. Some indoor DAS installations provide better coverage, others also add capacity, but at its core a DAS captures outdoor signals and brings them inside for devices to connect. Importantly though, for building owners, tenants, and network users, DAS may complicate networks as they coexist with pre-existing Wi-Fi networks. In this new normal it is vital to streamline network architectures in buildings for network manageability and security.
