WiFi for In-Building systems typically refers to the standard wireless LAN systems to which we have all become accustomed, and which utilize the family of 802.11 standards: a, b, g and now n. These services fall under the Federal Communications Commission’s classification of unlicensed services (as opposed to licensed cellular, 2-way, & public safety services). As such, the WiFI technology development path and the architecture has been, and continues to be, very different from cellular, and the implementation requirements are much less constrained. Even though there is an ever gradual merging of WiFi and cellular data services, the differences in switching and in being licensed and unlicensed services will always make their implementations different.
The topic of WiFi over a Distributed Antenna System is a common one in this day of merged technologies. In many ways, it makes sense, to try to make the most out of an infrastructure installation. But there are key differences in the ways in which WiFi and cellular data services work, that will always present a key operational decision-making step of whether to keep them separate or merge them. Please see our page for “WiFI over DAS” to understand the pros and cons of merged WiFI and cellular DAS systems.
Our DAS designs can implement WiFi technology as part of the design and signal distribution. Since our ultimate goal of doing what is best customer service is most important, we will be sure to have a thorough design and operational discussion with the customer prior to implementing a combined cellular and WiFi DAS. If the best solution is to implement a cellular or public safety/2-way DAS and a separate WiFi system, then that is what we will recommend to the customer.