The State-of-the-Art American Energy Fitness Center Gets Best-of-the-Best Connectivity
Contemporary beauty. Undeniable strength. And a unique design. The state-of-the-art American Energy Fitness Center in Oklahoma City had absolutely everything that could be desired -- except for the more practical matters of cellular connectivity. Under the majestic, customized steel arches of this massive 29,000 square foot building was a dead zone that rejected all carriers, blocking signals and dropping five bars outside to zero bars inside. Luckily, we had the solution right for them.
A Construction So Strong, It Denied Cellular Signals
A High Velocity Hurricane Zone Certified structure, the American Energy Fitness Center was constructed with special curved panels, bolted together to create a 99-foot wide, 37-foot tall, and 18-foot long solid steel, semi-circular structure. This state-of-the-art building could withstand not only horizontal impacts at 100 mph, not only vertical impacts of 67 mph -- it could also withstand all major cellular signal carriers. The steel construction of the building was designed to protect occupants from the devastating tornadoes that have historically plagued the city, in addition to providing insulation and air flow to keep heating and cooling comfortable and affordable. But what it wasn't designed was to facilitate cellular connectivity. And unfortunately, there was nothing a cell provider could do about improving connectivity in this massive steel cage. The building infrastructure itself was designed so that cellular signal simply could not penetrate the walls.
Connecting the American Energy Fitness Center to Oklahoma City
Paul, the IT Senior Telecom Engineer of American Energy, knew that he needed a solution that would be quick to deploy and on-budget. Further, as a community center, the AEFC needed to be able to support cellular coverage for all carriers -- no specific carrier was preferred over the others. This meant that he needed a third-party, all-in-one solution that would be able to boost connectivity throughout the entirety of the structure. Paul exchanged emails, phone calls, and pictures with Blue Cable Networx to determine the amount of cell boosting equipment that would be necessary. At Blue Cable Networx, we were able to quickly answer all questions, set a budget, and dispatch our expert team of installers.
Through our extensive experience, we knew that the problem could be fixed with three major components: a well-placed donor antenna, a bi-directional amplifier, and inside repeating antennas. A donor antenna would bring the signals in from the outside while the amplifier would direct it to the repeaters. The repeaters would then distribute signal throughout the interior of the building, ensuring that everyone inside would be able to easily send and receive data.
Technology and Architecture Become Fast Friends
But there was another caveat: we also needed to make sure the cabling and cable paths were neat and attractive, both for aesthetic reasons and the fire code. The last thing we wanted was to install unsightly or messy cabling in a new work of architectural art. White plenum cable was installed and placed in cable trays going to the four inside repeating antennas -- achieving both perfect utility and perfect design. An equipment room behind the elevator was chosen to hold the "brains" of the operation; two WilsonPro 70 Plus bi-directional amplifiers were installed and powered up.
The moment that our system went live, coverage shot up from zero bars to four and five bars. Not only were the team at American Energy pleased with the results, but we were proud to have been able to help with the technological side of this incredible project. Paul wrote, "I want to thank you guys again for the DAS solution you provided. There has been nothing but rave reviews from the end users. The design phase, installation, and post installation were all top notch as well as prompt communication. I received comments from the fitness center staff about the professionalism of your technician during the install. I hope to have the opportunity to work with you again."
Through the American Fitness Center project, we were able to flex not only our technological muscles but also our aesthetics and design. We pride ourselves on constructing not only workable, stable solutions, but also the solutions that fit best for our client's needs. Get in touch with our team today to receive a no-obligation project proposal.
CALL TODAY TO SPEAK TO A SIGNAL EXPERT: 435-862-8150
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