One of the things that’s plagued distributed antenna system (DAS) solutions has been the time it takes to deploy them, and now Zinwave, in a partnership with Cheytec Telecommunications, aims to whittle that time down to where it’s not only manageable but remarkable.
Lauded as a pioneering partnership, the deal allows for access to equipment that previously was only available directly to the wireless operators. So, the companies won’t have to go through any lengthy approval process with carriers, but Zinwave will continue to work with operators.
They’re not naming names, but one can guess the Tier 1 vendors that are traditionally supplying the gear to operators and how those vendors might be interested in changing their old-time distribution models to gain more business.
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The partnership allows Zinwave to be the first DAS OEM manufacturer that can purchase and procure RF base stations and offer an end-to-end solution, which drastically reduces the overall time to market for a DAS deployment, according to James Martin, VP of operations at Zinwave.
“This is a milestone in DAS deployments,” Martin told FierceWirelessTech.
Cheytec will license the RF base station and radio equipment necessary to bring cellular wireless signals into DAS sites for in-building applications, such as an airport, hospital, university, hotel, corporate campus or high-rise office building. They’re not competing with the neutral host companies but can partner with them as well as system integrators and others.
Zinwave’s in-building wireless DAS solution uses all frequency bands between 150 MHz – 2700 MHz on a single hardware layer, allowing future DAS-tenants and/or spectrum to be added without additional DAS hardware.
Today, the partnership does not include 5G or 3.5 GHz RF source equipment because that’s not even currently available, but as the deal continues to grow and as OEM partners develop and deploy those types of gear, the expectation is those would be available down the road, according to Scott Willis, president and CEO of Zinwave.
The companies are positioning it as a win-win for mobile operators, which will get additional coverage and capacity at minimal cost to them, and building owners and managers that can get cellular coverage for their tenants or guests and keep them coming back for more.
“I think it’s also as much about factors that are going on in the market that’s causing all of us collectively in the industry to figure out better ways to serve the end user,” Willis said.
Zinwave said it’s rolling out the new offering immediately, beginning with its own headquarters in Dallas.