National Nuclear Regulator

A Large Scale Enterprise Signal Booster Solution for the National Nuclear Regulator's 6000m² Offices.

The National Nuclear Regulator (NNR) of South Africa is responsible for the regulatory framework that protects people, property and the environment from any damaging effects of ionizing radiation or radioactive material.

The Problem

The National Nuclear Regulator, with their offices located in Centurion struggled with poor cellular reception in their 6000m²+ building which affected their internal processes and productivity.

The NNR needed to establish stable in-building cellular connectivity targeting the MTN and Vodacom networks.

The client required improved inbuilding signal where the reception was poor, in their administrative and executive office levels to facilitate the effective use of cellular devices and internet connectivity to improve daily operations.

The Solution

 A complete site-survey was done to assess signal strength within the different areas of the building. Based on our findings a certified IBwave engineer specialising in RF systems, designed a complete in-building cellular coverage solution to improve cellular coverage within the NNR building.

For this project the powerful Quad-band WilsonPro A8000 amplifier was identified, which amplifies cellular signal on the 1800MHz, 2100MHz and 2600MHz frequencies.

The WilsonPro A8000 allows multi-tower targeting which enabled our team to identify and target different towers for different cellular bands:

Multi-Tower Targeting in Practice for NNR Building

Multi Tower Targeting (MTT): Identified Towers for Optimal Service to NNR with clear line of sight to all 3 towers:

Low profile domes were installed for building aesthetics and better signal performance with 7db gain per antenna.

The team installed a system of splitters and couplers to feed Bolton400 (an LMR equivalent) coaxial cable ensure equal signal distribution throughout the building.

The Coax cable was fed from the IT server room where the A8000 amplifier was installed in the IT cabinet. From there the signal feeds to the basement and is distributed from the basement to the four main blocks, which comprise all operational offices of the NNR. 

The WilsonPro A8000 was connected to NNR's network and WilsonPro Cloud for performance monitoring.

The WilsonPro A8000 enterprise system working at peak performance in the NNR building. The extended dynamic range technology adjusts the gain on each port for best end-user experience on all available networks and bands in the area.

The Results

The results from this installation was highly successful. From an absolute dead zone to making and receiving clear, quality calls and greatly improved data speeds inside the office areas.

Area	Before	After
Finance Office	-121dB	-83 dB
Executive Office	-115dB	-70dB

 

 

 

 

 

Readings:

Finance Offices

 

Executive Offices

Conclusion

 

• The average signal strength went from -113dB to -76db. From not being able to make or receive calls to good quality. Calls can now be made and received clearly throughout the facility.
• The signal strength improved by an average of 37dBi; which means their cell phone signal is now stronger than before!
• LTE data speeds improved significantly.