INSIGHT

When mobile network operators (MNOs) roll out a network, they initially concentrate on providing coverage to the major cities and towns, then the arterial transport routes that link towns and cities and finally, they address the final areas required to fulfil their obligation to provide coverage to 98% of the population. The  Mobile Network Operators (MNO’s) responsibility is to provide street-level coverage for their users. To ensure this coverage is provided, OFCOM carries out independent checks regularly. So what is the issue?

Modern building techniques are inherently efficient. The sooner a building is built and occupied, the sooner it can start generating an income for the investors, so buildings are designed to be built quickly and efficiently. This makes using steel and glass in construction a cost-effective solution as they can be fabricated off-site. The low emissivity glass typically used is designed to be thermally efficient. Fluorinated tin dioxide (or SnO2 ) is added to the glass during its manufacturing process to improve thermal efficiency. This glass keeps the heat in the buildings when it is cold, as well as keeping the building cool during the hot summer months, but it is also very effective at blocking mobile signals.

Owners of modern buildings who want their employees to have robust mobile coverage within them, faced with the challenge of getting good coverage inside their buildings despite being in an area with good mobile coverage, are hampered by the same materials used in the construction of their building.