Building the wireless networks of the future
Morgan Kurk reckons wireless IT resellers need to get their foot in the door before there is even a door
Kurk: Wireless tech specialists should be looking at the opportunities in construction and property development
Wireless is becoming almost indispensable, so effective in-building wireless systems will become critical.
Property developers tend to focus on aesthetics, efficiency and comfort. These things are often the enemy of wireless technology, causing poor coverage.
Relying on the WAN to deliver reliable wireless coverage inside large structures is not a great idea. Instead, resellers should promote cost-effective, high-performance, long-term solutions to building owners and property developers.
In-building cabling is the foundation of the wireless network. The indoor antennae, coaxial cables, connectors and cable management apparatus that make up the structured cabling aim to flood a building with wireless signals and deflect interference from the macro network outdoors as well as competing signal frequencies inside.
Communications equipment can be strategically installed in already standing buildings to achieve universal wireless coverage.
Wireless solution providers can rectify dead zones by doing radio-frequency site surveys for existing structures and designing systems tailored specifically to a building’s physical properties and mobile-technology requirements.
Architects and building developers, I believe, are finally paying attention to the possibility of doing in-building wireless during the initial construction phase.
Adding new infrastructure after construction increases cost and disruption. I have heard that post-construction installation costs four times that of pre-construction work.
Once such pre-installation becomes common in construction projects, walking into a building without wireless connectivity will be like living in a house without electricity or running water.
Morgan Kurk is senior vice president of intelligent enterprise buildings at CommScope