The company’s Omni Network uses CommScope’s ONECELL and is being rolled out at various Freshwave customer sites across the UK and includes Freshwave’s ongoing managed service.
In-building mobile systems are needed because in many buildings the macro signal is blocked by materials such as thick concrete walls or energy efficient glass. Small cells, which connect securely into the MNOs’ networks, guarantee the quality of service, unlike some other connectivity technologies which rely on outdoor signal.
Commenting Simon Frumkin, Freshwave’s CEO, said, “Omni Network extends in-building mobile connectivity to a wider range of organisations than ever before thanks to our team’s technical innovation. As the only company in the UK able to offer Omni Network, we’re looking forward to the benefits it will bring to our customers across the public and private sector.”
With all four MNOs contained in one box which is configured and controlled by engineers via Freshwave’s data centre, Omni Network needs less equipment, cabling and corresponding installation. This means it’s faster to design and deploy and, depending on the building size, up to 65 per cent lower cost than a legacy, traditional distributed antenna system (DAS). It’s also more energy efficient, using up to 60 per cent less energy.
Each access point can provide up to 25 per cent more coverage compared to a traditional small cell and 32 per cent more than a low power DAS. Omni Network needs a maximum of four units in a rack, freeing up space in the comms room for other uses.
Because Omni Network connects via agreed operator technical specifications, it allows Freshwave as the neutral host to provide customers with additional network statistics and visibility of what’s happening on the mobile network in their building. This data, which includes information such as traffic volume, number of users and calls, data upload and download, helps illustrate the value the network is delivering to the organisation. As with all Freshwave’s mobile services, Omni Network is Telecommunications (Security) Act 2021 compliant.
The Omni Network containing all four MNOs in one box is suited for sites from 6,000 sq ft upwards and can scale to buildings of 350,000 sq ft or more. It’s intended for high spec environments such as premium residential or office developments and innovation-supporting settings like hospitals and research campuses.
