If staff walk outside to make a call, the building has a coverage problem. Steel framing, concrete, energy-efficient glass and sheer size all block cellular signal. A distributed antenna system, or DAS, is how large buildings fix that for everyone at once.
How a DAS works
- Donor antenna. Mounted on the roof, it captures signal from nearby cell sites for each carrier.
- Head-end. Equipment inside the building that conditions and amplifies that signal.
- Distribution. Cabling carries the signal through the building to the areas that need it.
- Indoor antennas. Ceiling-mounted antennas rebroadcast coverage across each floor.
Signs a building needs one
- Calls drop in the same areas every day.
- Staff on different carriers report different dead zones.
- The building already has several boosters on the wall and still struggles.
- Phones are part of safety procedures, scanning or dispatch.
- Tenants or visitors complain about coverage.
Why boosters often fall short
Plug-in boosters and network extenders usually help one carrier in one area. In a building where people use different carriers, that leads to a wall of devices that each solve a slice of the problem. A DAS is designed from measured data to cover every carrier across the whole space.
How a DAS project runs
- Survey. Walk tests and heat maps show where each carrier fails, floor by floor.
- Design. Donor, head-end and antenna placement are planned from the survey data.
- Install. Rooftop work, building penetration, cabling and ceiling antennas, done by one team.
- Verify. A post-install heat map confirms coverage where people actually work.
For a regional office, SimpleCom ran full heat map surveys, installed rooftop donor antennas, an in-building head-end and ceiling antennas on both floors, and verified full coverage on the after map. Read Two floors, every carrier, full coverage.
Common questions
Does a DAS work for every carrier?
A multi-carrier DAS is designed to carry every major carrier, so staff are covered whatever phone they use.
How long does a DAS project take?
It depends on building size and roof access. The survey sets the scope and schedule before any install begins.
Can a DAS cover a site with no signal outside?
Yes, when it is fed by its own backhaul. On remote jobsites, satellite can provide the connection that a network extender turns into cell coverage.
Losing calls inside your building?
One team to survey, install and support every site, on your timeline.