Case Study: U.S. Navy’s Fleet Logistics Center Gets Cellular Coverage Inside
The Summary
The U.S. Navy’s Fleet Logistics Center, located in a historical building in Washington, DC, was struggling with significant cellular connectivity issues in the interior of its seven-story facility. The building’s size, construction materials, and location caused complete cellular signal blockage for all four major carriers, especially on the lower floors. This case study explores how ATG provided a comprehensive solution using cell booster systems to restore cellular connectivity across 54,300 square feet of the building.
To read the full case study click here!
The Challenge
The Fleet Logistics Center is one of the U.S. Navy’s oldest and largest facilities, and it is housed in a historical building that was not designed with modern wireless communication needs in mind. The primary challenges included:
- Cellular signal blockage: The building’s construction, with thick concrete floors and reinforced steel, made it impossible for cellular signals to penetrate the structure, especially on the lower floors where office spaces and conference rooms were located.
- Location issues: The building was surrounded by trees and tall structures, creating significant shadowing that further degraded the signal.
- Emergency communication risks: Reliable cellular service was vital for both everyday operations and emergency communications, which were severely impacted by the signal loss.
Without cellular connectivity, workers on the lower floors were unable to make calls or use mobile data for communication or operational purposes, causing significant disruptions.
To solve the issue, ATG provided a cell phone signal amplification solution using the Cel-Fi QUATRA, a state-of-the-art hybrid active DAS system. The solution was designed to:
- Amplify and distribute cellular signals: The Cel-Fi QUATRA system was tailored to work in the building’s challenging environment, offering up to 1000x stronger signals compared to traditional boosters and passive DAS systems.
- Seamless carrier integration: To support all four major carriers, ATG installed four Cel-Fi QUATRA Network Units (NUs) on the third floor utility room, ensuring signal coverage for AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and Sprint. The system enhanced outdoor signals and retransmitted them through Cat 5e cables to Coverage Units (CUs) located throughout the building.
- Quick installation: The entire installation was completed in just two weeks, minimizing disruption to daily operations.
The deployment of the Cel-Fi QUATRA system resulted in significant improvements:
- Full cellular coverage: Reliable cellular service was restored throughout the lower floors of the building, with consistent signal strength for all four carriers.
- Improved communication: There were no more dropped calls or slow data speeds, which restored functionality for both daily communications and emergency systems.
- Cost-effective solution: The system’s small footprint and reduced hardware requirements made it a more affordable and efficient solution than other options.
- Real-time monitoring: The system is continuously monitored via the Cel-Fi WAVE portal, providing real-time alerts for any issues, ensuring ongoing reliability.
The installation was not only faster and cheaper but also more effective, allowing the Navy to avoid the complex and costly process of carrier rebroadcast agreements.
Why ATG?
ATG specializes in providing cutting-edge cell phone amplification solutions, ensuring that facilities like the U.S. Navy’s Fleet Logistics Center get the connectivity they need to operate smoothly. Our cell booster systems offer unmatched performance in challenging environments, ensuring that communication is never compromised.
For more information about our solutions, visit this link to explore the Cel-Fi QUATRA system and how it can improve cellular connectivity in your building. Contact us today to learn more.
