Issues and Considerations for
Implementation of an AirportWide Distributed Antenna System
Topics for Discussion
► Why would you need a DAS?
► What is your current situation?
► What are your options?
► How much do you want to do yourself?
We will not be discussing…
► Wi-Fi over a carrier DAS infrastructure
► On-airport deployment of carrier towers
Terminology
► Carrier – A cellular provider such as Verizon, T-Mobile,
Sprint, AT&T, etc.
► Aggregator – A third party company that designs,
builds, finances, operates and maintains the DAS
system. They will also negotiate agreements with the
carriers on your behalf.
► Lead Carrier – A cellular carrier that also fills the role of
an aggregator.
► Minimum Annual Guarantee (MAG) – The amount that
each carrier or the aggregator is contracted to pay.
Questions you should ask
► Does the airport want control?
► Does the airport want to own the system?
► Does the airport want to finance the system?
► Do you require service for airport operations such as
land/mobile radio?
Alternatives
► Re-negotiate contracts on an existing DAS
► Upgrade and re-negotiate an existing DAS
► Contract and deploy a new DAS.
Topics
Tech Overview
Business Overview
Airport Examples
Questions
References
Two Basic Designs
Passive
Active
► Primarily Co-Ax infrastructure
► Uses powerful bi-directional
amplifier at headend
► Lower equipment cost but
higher installation cost
► All carrier frequencies on the
same system
► Uses antennas & leaky coax
► High RF losses
► Best suited to small facilities
and lower frequencies
(800MHz)
► Minimal management
capability
► Network devices using
Ethernet infrastructure
► Smaller distributed amplifiers
► Uses active interface devices
to carriers
► Proprietary & non-proprietary
implementations
► Highly scalable
► Capacity expansion using LTE
MIMO
Passive splitter head-end
Active Base Server Interface
Evolution of Active DAS
LAS Perimeter
MCO Perimeter
LAX Perimeter
Questions
► Does any airport have the experience of direct engaging with
the major cellular carriers for DAS implementation
contractually but choose one integrator or DAS system
provider to perform the actual DAS system design and
implementation work?
► For the airports who have built cellular DAS (whether
contracted with a neutral host or direct contracts with the
cellular carriers) and collected fees, what are the basis used
for the fees – airport passenger count, spaces leased to the
cellular carriers/neutral host, or some other basis?
► Has any airport succeeded in having the cellular carriers not
only pay for their own DAS, but also pay for WiFi and/or public
safety radio DAS that are desired by airport authorities? If so
how is that accomplished?
► What are lessons learned from your DAS projects? If there is
one thing that stands out either in the “should do” or “should
not do” categories, what is that one thing?
► Has any airport had the experience of managing a DAS
implementation while the airport is going through major
modernization/refurbishment? What are the lessons learned
in this regard?
► How does your airport address future improvement to DAS
either for user QOS (quality of service) or needs of technology
upgrades in your contracts?
► With the four major cellular carriers (AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile
and Verizon) and in your dealings with them, what seems to
be common and unique among the four? What have been
your main challenges in working with them?
Other considerations
► Must comply with NFPA 72-2016 and 1221-2016 for
“Communication Enhancement Systems” if the DAS carries
life-safety radio
► Confirm compliance with 47 C.F.R. § 20.18(i) to locate the cell
phone within 50 meters.
References
► NFPA 1221-16
► NFPA 72-16
► What’s at the Antenna Counts – Commscope White paper on
distributed amplifiers