You walk into the building and your phone drops from four bars to one. Or you make calls by the window, because you keep losing the connection in the middle of the floor. Many people think the provider is to blame. Often it is the building.
Why modern buildings block the signal
It sounds strange, but the better a building is insulated, the worse the mobile coverage inside often is. The causes:
- Coated glass. Insulating glass often has a thin metal layer that keeps heat out. That layer also blocks radio signals.
- Concrete and steel. Thick floors, concrete cores and steel structures weaken the signal.
- Deep floor plates. The further you are from the façade, the less signal is left.
- Basements and car parks. Often nothing gets through there at all.
So a building that has been made energy efficient can have worse coverage than before the refurbishment. That is not the contractor's mistake. It is a side effect that nobody tends to think about during the design.
Why it matters
Many people now mainly make calls from their laptop. Even so, mobile coverage is still important:
- Colleagues and clients simply call a mobile number.
- Logging in often requires a code via text message or an app on your phone.
- In an emergency, you want to be able to make a call anywhere in the building.
- A 4G or 5G backup connection only works if there is enough signal inside.
The solutions, from simple to extensive
WiFi calling
Most phones and providers support WiFi calling. Your phone then makes calls over the WiFi network when the mobile signal is weak. It costs nothing extra, but only works if the WiFi is good throughout the building. And not every phone or subscription supports it.
A repeater, with permission
A repeater picks up the signal outside and rebroadcasts it inside. Note: in the Netherlands you cannot simply do this yourself. A repeater transmits on the mobile providers' frequencies, and that requires the provider's permission. Repeaters bought online can also interfere with the network in the surrounding area.
An indoor coverage system
For larger buildings there is indoor coverage: a network of small antennas throughout the building. It is installed in consultation with the providers. It is a larger investment, but it gives good coverage everywhere in the building, including basements and stairwells.
Which solution fits depends on the size of the building, the number of users and how weak the signal is now.
Measure first, then choose
Before you buy anything, it is wise to know how big the problem is. Where is coverage poor? With which providers? On which floors? A survey through the building answers those questions. Then you also know whether WiFi calling is enough, or whether more is needed.
What does this mean for tenants and owners?
As a tenant, ask about mobile coverage during a viewing. Or better: test it yourself, with phones from different providers, in the middle of the floor. It is also in our checklist for renting an office.
As an owner, include indoor coverage in a refurbishment. Installing it afterwards is more expensive and more difficult than during the works.
Mobile coverage and the IT-Label
Mobile coverage is one of the things we include in an IT-Label audit. We measure it where people work, not just at the entrance. Want to know where you stand first? Take the free self-scan or request a pre-inspection.