In Building Wireless DAS funding

In Building Wireless DAS funding

A variety of funding / ownership models are available for Cellular DAS IBW systems depending largely on who stands to benefit the most from the enhanced wireless services. For enterprise customer campuses and other venues where an operator wants to differentiate their level of service relative to competitors, the operator may negotiate a lease directly with the building owner and bear the full cost of designing, permitting, installing and maintaining the IBW system in exchange for exclusive coverage rights.

The opposite case also occurs where a building owner is required by local regulations to provide ERRCS DAS coverage at critical areas within the building. In this case, the DAS system is just another building code requirement, like the sprinkler system, that is necessary to obtain an occupancy permit. For public safety coverage, the building owner bears 100% of the cost of the IBW system, often paying a specialized 3rd party contractor to design and install the system.

In other cases, such as large shopping centers and stadiums, the benefit of enhanced coverage and capacity may be mutual. Strong coverage from as many operators as possible benefits the building owner since the largest cross section of potential customers will be satisfied. The ability to efficiently serve a large number of customers accessing social media while shopping or enjoying the “big event” is a win for the mobile operator. Since both the building owner and the mobile operators stand to benefit, a negotiation is required to determine how to equitably share the cost of the Distributive Antenna System system. An added complication in these systems is that the building owner is likely to insist that all operators share the same Cellular DAS infrastructure to reduce the physical as well as visual impact on the venue. This offers a financial benefit to each operator but eliminates each operator’s direct control over the performance of the system.

In many cases a neutral host is employed to work with all operators during the design phase to understand each operator’s requirements and resolve conflicts. The neutral host may be an IBW integration company, an equipment manufacturer or a 3rd party management company. In some cases the neutral host pays for and maintains the IBW system as an investment, paying a fee to the building owner and negotiating lease agreements with the individual operators