Poor cellular reception continues to be an issue in private or group practices, nursing homes, rehab centers, urgent care outlets, and similar healthcare offices. This is concerning since patients are often required to wait outside until called in for their appointments. Patients inside a facility may also have to call a caregiver or family member to pick them up, provide information the doctor needs, or coordinate scheduling for the next appointment. Plus, doctors and nurses routinely use their cell phones to coordinate home patient care with collaborating caregivers.
Unfortunately, these facilities or small areas of larger facilities often have poor cellular coverage. This is not uncommon due to location and landscape obstructions between the cell tower and the facility, such as trees or hills. Building construction materials – such as steel, cement blocks, and energy-efficient windows – will also obstruct the cellular signal from penetrating into a building.
There are however solutions available to improve cellular reception in these locations, each providing a range of QoS, cost, installation complexity, and reliability.
Right sizing the cellular amplification solution
Sometimes in large hospitals, there are just a few spaces where there is poor cellular reception. In these cases, there is no need to commit budget to cellular booster solutions that cover the entire facility. Like the smaller facilities, your customers will appreciate a solution that is right sized and priced appropriately for their needs.
At GetWireless, we recommend the Cel-fi Smart Signal Booster from Nextivity. It provides up to 100 dB gain, which is 1000x the signal boosting power of competitive systems, in spaces up to 15,000 sq. ft. This means that the Cel-Fi Smart Signal Booster can be placed in hallways to deliver strong cellular signal into spaces where a booster cannot be physically installed, such as a Cath lab or x-ray room. Multiple units can be installed in larger facilities or in different areas to focus on where there is poor reception.
The Cel-Fi Smart Signal Booster features Nextivity’s award-winning Intelliboost signal processing, does not interfere with other wireless devices, and delivers an unconditionally network safe guarantee. The Cel-Fi Smart Signal Booster maximizes cellular coverage for 3G / 4G / 5G and can be bundled with a variety of antennas that can be positioned inside or outside the building, depending on the use case and best available signal strength for the optimum configuration. As a NEMA 4 rated system, the booster is weather resistant to withstand harsh conditions including dust and water exposure so it can be safely installed outside the building to boost cellular coverage in an adjacent parking lot or areas where people may be waiting outdoors.
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