Cell Boost Cellular Coverage

CellBoost is a passive distributed antenna system that uses a donor antenna on the rooftop to take the cellular coverage that is outside and blast in throughout the building.  CellBoost can be used throughout an entire property or only in areas where coverage is poor.  CellBoost is a carrier agnostic technology which means that any carrier with coverage outside can be blasted into the building on one system.

The average cost of a CellBoost system is $0.70/ square foot.  Compared to the Cost of a traditional DAS system which can run upwards of $2.50/ sq. ft., CellBoost is a much more cost effective solution.

• Architecture: A traditional Distributed Antenna System (DAS) works by using a base station transceiver inside the building and essentially creating a mini cell site out of the building.  CellBoost uses a donor antenna on the roof top and works from outside in.
• Carrier Approvals: Traditional DAS requires carrier approval.  CellBoost does not require carrier approval.
• Power: Traditional DAS requires power at every antenna and uses fiber which makes the system cost prohibitive to most building owners.  CellBoost uses copper and does not require power at the antennas.
• Coverage Requirements: Outdoor coverage must be present to use CellBoost.  Traditional DAS does not require coverage outdoors.
• Lead Time: CellBoost can be installed and online in a couple of months whereas DAS can take a year or more to get installed.
• Call Quality: There is no difference between the Call Quality of a traditional and passive DAS system.
• Cost: CellBoost is about 1/5 the cost of DAS.

In 2019 and 2020, the majority of our multifamily customers elect to put in a Wi-Fi Calling system due to its versatility, ability to provide high speed data coverage and future-proofing.  CellBoost is a great solution to get cellular coverage into a building quickly for lease-up, into the demo units, lobbies and amenity areas.  While we do still have some multifamily customers who choose CellBoost, we are seeing this technology phase out and be replaced with Wi-Fi.

For commercial properties needing cellular coverage, Wi-Fi Calling may not be the best option due to the high amounts of guest traffic.  In this case we would typically recommend CellBoost.