ADRF in-building solution designed to save space, power

Module supporting in-building communications promises to increase user flexibility while reducing power consumption almost 80% compared to legacy model.

Advanced RF Technologies (ADRF) announced a new compact module for its ADXV DAS offering that greatly reduces the number of components needed to support in-building communications, allowing users to realize almost 80% in power consumption compared to the company’s legacy point-of-interface (POI) module.

Mohammed Ali, DAS manager at ADRF, said the company developed the new point-of-interface medium power module (POIM) to address the needs of multiple carrier systems leveraging a wide range of spectrum frequencies in a venue—all without significantly increasing the space used at the head end. With the new POIM, these goals can be reached in a package that simplifies maintenance tasks.

“That’s our goal here: Let’s make this a lot easier; let’s make it a lot better. Let’s make sure that it’s flexible enough that the customers can change,” Ali said during an interview with IWCE’s Urgent Communications.

“That makes it so much easier for us when we are building our system. And it makes the system so flexible and configurable.”

Ali outlined an example that has been deployed at an undisclosed location in California, in which communications from three commercial carriers are supported across a variety of frequencies—from 700 MHz to C-Band spectrum, according to an ADRF press release—while utilizing just two head-end chassis, as opposed to the six that would be needed with ADRF’s legacy offering. This approach reduces the number of rack-mounted units needed to 12—half as many as the 24 required to accomplish the same task with legacy equipment.

In another configuration, the new POIM approach results in even greater physical footprint saving, as the number of head-end chassis needed are able to be reduced to two—a significant dropoff from the eight chassis that would have been needed with the legacy solution, Ali said. In addition, the POIM requires 14 rack-mounted units, as opposed to the 32 units that would have been needed previously to support the same indoor connectivity.

And physical-footprint efficiencies are not the only benefits to be realized from a POIM deployment, according to ADRF. The high-density POIM can offer as much as 78% lower power consumption than would be needed with ADRF’s previous model, as there are fewer components needing power to operate and to be cooled, the company’s press release states.

“That will help a lot with power,” Ali said. “It will help with a lot of heat output, as well. And that will make the systems easier [to manage]. It’s a progression to what we expect to see a lot more of moving forward.”

Ali said ADRF expects the POIM solution will be most attractive initially to large venues like stadiums and hospitals, especially those who want to provide a neutral-host environment while dealing with limited space constraints at the location for the head-end equipment or want to avoid building a larger shelter to house the gear. However, ADRF believes the POIM advantages are significant enough for the technology to be adopted in other types of facilities, as well.

Ali addressed some of the potential implications that the POIM approach could have on in-building public-safety communications, beyond offering the ability to support frequencies like 700 MHz Band 13 for Verizon Frontline and 700 MHz Band 14 for FirstNet, built by AT&T.

“This is mostly for our cellular units, because the carriers share the bands together. For our public-safety [customers] it’s still the same POIs,” Ali said. “ They can coexist with the POIs for public safety when we put them together on our converged system. This makes it easier. 

“If I have a public-safety system—and the AHJ allows me to run cellular on it, as well—instead or having three POIs for PCS, just one POI is needed. That reduces the amount of heat from it, the size of the system. I can also insert it into our NEMA 4 headend, which makes it easier. It just makes everything more compact and adds flexibility to what we had before.”

Victor Mejia, product manager for ADRF, noted the need to deliver communications coverage throughout venues while reducing power usage.

“Our customers' demand for wireless technologies continues to grow, but the areas they install the equipment do not,” Mejia said in a prepared statement. “The POIM gives them the same powerful connectivity in a smaller package, cutting both costs and power use at a time when AI is using more energy than ever. We are committed to adapting our products to evolving system integrators' needs, making it easier for them to bring connectivity indoors to buildings and facilities of all sizes.”

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