What are the critical aspects and key considerations of DAS design and deployment? How do industry professionals work together in order to define the solutions that enable successful DAS design and deployment from beginning to end?
These questions and more were answered by DAS experts Jordan Fry, Attorney at panel sponsor Snyder & Snyder; Ray Kramarcy, National Manager Distribution at Alpha Technologies; Carla Shaffer, Wireless Business Manager at Anixter; Fred Bancroft, Carrier Sales Manager at Corning; Art Meierdirk, Senior Director of Business Services at INOC; and Jeff Reale, Enterprise Solutions Manager at Intenna Systems, during the DAS Design and Deployment: Start to Finish panel at the Northeast DAS & Small Cell Association (NEDAS) NYC In-building Wireless Summit in New York City on March 31, 2015.
The panelists began the discussion by giving attending insight into the current state of the wireless industry and the critical need for effective DAS design and deployment. DAS Design and Deployment: Start to Finish also taught NEDAS attendees to look at the following factors before starting their DAS endeavors: land usage considerations; telecommunications; remote output; power and power consumption; physical equipment size; upgrade path; neutral hosts; and services to be deployed.
According to Mr. Reale and Mr. Bancroft’s panel presentations, companies must first determine venue needs and decide what kind of architecture they want to employ. This includes strategic selection of products as well as convergence of multiple technologies for one single platform. Equipment cost and size also come into play during this initial step of the process, as does selecting the right service for the right carriers. The next step, according to the panel’s Mr. Kramarcy, is to identify power architecture and requirements. Considerations discussed by Kramarcy included powering up the DAS system through remote access and backup towers.
Next, Ms. Schaffer then discussed how to successfully execute all aspects of material procurement, construction planning and working with contractors, installation management and implementation / validation of systems. Lastly, Mr. Meierdirk shared his thoughts on DAS system operations and maintenance, covering key operations and support issues to consider during the design phase as well as following construction. During his session, Mr. Meierdirk emphasized the need for a configuration management database, the importance of knowing what is happening with the network, and finally, the need for a detailed DAS runbook that documents the steps needed to manage any issues that arise.
To watch the DAS Design and Deployment: Start to Finish and other NEDAS NYC Spring In-Building Wireless Summit panels, click here.
