INSIGHT

The effect of modern building materials on mobile signal quality

With regard to mobile communication, nothing is more important than having a solid mobile signal. Unfortunately, many buildings are constructed with materials that can negatively impact a mobile signal. These materials are known as “structural barriers” and include concrete and steel. When these materials absorb and reflect mobile phone signals, they can interfere with the ability to have a quality conversation. This can have a negative impact on the business operations of office buildings. For example, imagine a construction site with concrete walls that absorb the signal from a mobile phone. The sound quality is poor when this signal is reflected back to the phone. Now consider this situation in a conventional office building with a cellular tower on the roof of the building. In this situation, the signal will not be impacted as much by the building materials because the cellular tower is stronger than the signal from the phone. For this reason, businesses must take steps to prevent structural barriers from interfering with their mobile networks.

Here are a few things you can do to improve the quality of your mobile signal in your building: Install more antennas – Some buildings have multiple antennas installed inside the building. This is called a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and can provide increased network coverage compared to just one antenna. Use the best materials – Choose building materials that won’t absorb or reflect mobile phone signals. This can mean using wood instead of concrete or aluminium instead of steel. Enlist the help of a professional – If the structural barriers within your building affect the quality of your network, it’s a good idea to contact a professional company that specialises in telecommunications. They can help you diagnose the issue and provide you with a solution that will solve the problem.

If you’re worried about how cell phone signals impact your business operations, fixing the problem is essential. Even the slightest loss of signal can have an adverse impact on your ability to do business. Fortunately, you can do many things to address the problem and improve the cellular service in your building.

Do you have a mobile phone signal problem in your business? Tell us about your experience by emailing us at info@panrf.com