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SOLiD FAQs

Distributed Antenna System (DAS) FAQs

A distributed antenna system (DAS) is a network of spatially separated antennas connected to a common source, improving wireless service within a building or area by eliminating dead spots. It functions by distributing a signal (from a cell tower or a base station) through cables and amplifiers to multiple antenna nodes placed throughout a building or area. These nodes act like mini cell towers, improving coverage and capacity, and are particularly useful in large buildings, stadiums, and complex environments where traditional signal penetration is challenging.

DAS enhances indoor cellular coverage, ensuring consistent wireless connectivity. It benefits areas with complex architecture, high user density, or where signals are obstructed.

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) differ from traditional cell towers in several key ways:

  • Coverage Area: Traditional cell towers are designed to cover large outdoor areas, potentially spanning several miles. In contrast, DAS is primarily used to provide coverage in specific, often indoor, locations like buildings, stadiums, or campuses, where traditional towers can’t effectively reach.
  • Size and Placement: Cell towers are typically large structures placed outdoors. DAS consists of smaller antenna nodes that can be discretely installed inside or around a building.
  • Signal Strength and Quality: DAS can provide stronger and more reliable signal strength in its targeted area, as it brings the signal source closer to the end user. This is particularly beneficial in areas where building materials or other obstacles block signals from traditional cell towers.
  • Capacity and Scalability: DAS is designed to handle high-capacity needs in densely populated areas or in locations with large crowds, such as stadiums or concert halls. It can be scaled and adjusted more easily to meet the specific demands of the area it serves.

DAS (Distributed Antenna System) and Wi-Fi are both wireless systems, but they serve different purposes. DAS is primarily designed to enhance cellular network coverage within buildings or specific areas, ensuring consistent signal strength for mobile devices.

On the other hand, Wi-Fi provides wireless internet connectivity using radio frequencies, typically in the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz bands. While DAS enhances voice and mobile data coverage, Wi-Fi facilitates local network connections and internet access.

A Distributed Antenna System (DAS) offers several advantages:

Enhanced Coverage: DAS eliminates dead spots, ensuring consistent cellular signals even in challenging environments like basements or areas with dense construction.

Capacity Handling: DAS efficiently manages high user density, ensuring stable connectivity during peak times in venues like stadiums or conference centres.

Flexible Installation: DAS can be designed for various environments, from high-rises to underground facilities.

Reduced Strain on External Networks: By handling local cellular traffic, DAS reduces the load on external cell towers.

Versatility: Besides cellular signals, DAS can also support other wireless services, including emergency radios and potentially Wi-Fi, making it a multifunctional solution.

DAS system costs depends on several factors: the building’s size, the type of DAS (active or passive), system design complexity, and the number of supported carriers. On an average, for commercial buildings, costs range from $1 to $5 per square foot, but can be higher for specialized requirements.

SOLiD BARS FAQs

Yes. SOLiD BARS is a Consumer Signal Booster certified under 47 CFR § 20.21, the federal standard governing signal booster operation to ensure devices do not cause harmful interference to wireless networks.

No. Per the FCC’s official Consumer Signal Boosters page:

“Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and T–Mobile have approved all boosters that contain the label, so you do not need to get approval again.”

All major carriers pre-approved FCC-certified consumer signal boosters in 2013. See the original carrier approval letters (click the download icons): AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon.

You must register the booster with your wireless carrier before use. Registration links for each carrier:

SOLiD offers two categories of signal boosters. ALLIANCE and nGENESIS are Industrial Signal Boosters designed for large-scale deployments. SOLiD BARS is a Consumer Signal Booster certified under 47 CFR § 20.21, intended for smaller-scale use and subject to the consumer booster regulatory framework.

Consumer signal boosters in the U.S. are governed by 47 CFR § 20.21, which sets technical and operational standards to prevent interference with carrier networks.

CBRS FAQs

CBRS stands for Citizens Broadband Radio Service. It is a 150 MHz band of spectrum, from 3.55 to 3.70 GHz. This was traditionally used by the U.S. military for radar systems. However, in recent years, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has opened up this band for shared commercial use.
CBRS is versatile in supporting both private LTE and private 5G networks, alongside other applications. It enables fixed wireless access, mobile operator services, and IoT applications, providing flexible and cost-effective connectivity.
The three tiers for CBRS are: Incumbent Access: Includes federal and satellite users. They have the highest priority and are protected from interference. Priority Access License (PAL): Commercial users who obtain short-term licenses through auctions. They receive protection from General Authorized Access users. General Authorized Access (GAA): Open for any user without a license but must avoid causing interference to higher tiers.

The CBRS band introduces dynamic spectrum sharing, allowing multiple entities, from federal users to private networks, to coexist and maximize efficient spectrum use.

SOLiD FAQs

SOLiD is a leading provider of distributed antenna systems (DAS) for wireless coverage. SOLiD offers innovative and cost-effective solutions for enhancing cellular network performance in buildings and venues.

SOLiD offers a range of products and services for wireless coverage, including:

  • ALLIANCE 5G DAS: A modular and scalable distributed antenna systems (DAS) platform that supports multiple operators, bands, and technologies. ALLIANCE DAS can be deployed in various environments, such as stadiums, airports, hotels, hospitals, and campuses.
  • SOLiD Services: A comprehensive suite of services that covers the entire lifecycle of DAS projects, from training to design and engineering, monitoring, maintenance, and support.
  • DAS Training and Certification: SOLiD’s Training and Certification Program offers in-depth knowledge and practical expertise in DAS, designed and led by experienced engineers. The program covers DAS architecture, signal propagation, and troubleshooting through theoretical and hands-on learning. Completing the program awards a globally recognized certification, equipping participants for the wireless communication industry.

Using SOLiD’s solutions can provide several benefits, such as:

  • Improved Coverage: SOLiD’s solutions can eliminate dead spots and enhance signal quality in challenging environments.
  • Increased Capacity: SOLiD’s solutions can handle high user density and traffic demand in venues with large crowds.
  • Future-Ready Technology: SOLiD’s solutions can support the latest wireless technologies, such as 5G, CBRS, and O-RAN, as well as legacy technologies.
  • Cost-Effective Deployment: SOLiD’s solutions can reduce the capital and operational expenses of DAS deployment by using modular components, fiber-optic cables, and remote units.

SOLiD ALLIANCE DAS uses analog RF over fiber transport technology to achieve higher bandwidth, lower latency, lower cost, and lower power consumption.

Both technologies have features and benefits; in fact, SOLiD has analog (ALLIANCE) and digital (GENESIS) DAS product lines.

In the United States, analog transport has a big benefit because of two very large frequency bands; the 2500 and 3700 MHz bands have 194 and 280 MHz of spectrum, respectively, and the overall large amount of spectrum available between 600 MHz and 3980 MHz.

For example, all sub-4GHz cellular bands can be transported over only two strands of fiber using analog transport. At the same time, it typically takes six or more fibers (with accompanying SFP+ modules) to transport that same amount of spectrum with digital transport.

Digital DAS has advantages in its capability to use standard CAT cabling, which is typically less expensive to install than fiber but comes with distance limitations. Analog systems consume less power because they don’t have to convert analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog. Digital systems have a headend space advantage, but they introduce additional latency during the analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversion processes, which can introduce limitations in the cell radius (inclusive of fronthaul DAS).

The bottom line is that features and benefits matter and must be evaluated in the context of each venue’s requirements because there is no one right answer between digital and analog DAS.

Yes. SOLiD has the following certifications:

  • TL 9000 R6.3 / R5.7
  • ISO 9001 CERTIFIED
  • ISO 14001 CERTIFIED
  • ISO 45001 CERTIFIED

SOLiD Training and Support FAQs

Contact your Regional Sales Manager, provide your First name, Last name, and email address, and request a SOLiD University account. If you don’t know who your Regional Sales Manager is, please contact training@solid.com

You will need a SOLiD University Account. Once logged on, navigate to the “catalog” section, and select “Certification Courses,” then add your desired certification courses to the cart and check out.

Currently, we provide certifications for DAS 101, ALLIANCE Product, and ALLIANCE Commissioning & Integration. In the future, we are looking to add more, based on demand, such as ALLIANCE Design and ALLIANCE Operations.

SOLiD University will accept credit card for the course. If you cannot use a credit card, please contact training@solid.com

Product data sheets, along with product manuals, RMA request, application notes, firmware and GUI software can be conveniently accessed from our Support & Service page.

Contact our DAS experts by emailing info@solid.com, or calling (888) 409-9997.

Spec sheets: https://solid.com/resources/
Vex files and iBwave templates: https://solid.com/engineering-and-design/
Manuals and Firmware: https://solid.com/support-and-service/

Visit: https://solid.com/support-and-service/

Contact your regional sales manager or solutions engineer or Contact Us: https://solid.com/us/contact/
SOLiD ALLIANCE supports all commercial and public safety frequency bands below 4 GHz. https://solid.com/us/products/alliance-das/

SOLiD Neutral Host Network FAQs

A neutral host network is a shared wireless infrastructure that enables multiple mobile network operators (such as AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile) to deliver cellular coverage throughout a venue. Rather than having each carrier build its own in-building wireless network using separate cabling, headends, remote radios, and antennas, a neutral host system uses a multi-carrier distributed antenna system (DAS) to aggregate signals from all participating carriers at a central point and distribute them over a shared network.

Neutral host networks are ideal for high-capacity venues requiring dedicated radio resources to serve hundreds or thousands of mobile devices, and in physically challenging environments where outdoor cellular signals fail to penetrate walls.

Examples include:

  • Commercial real estate and high-rise office towers
  • Airports and transportation hubs
  • Hospitals and healthcare campuses
  • Stadiums, arenas, and entertainment venues
  • Academic and corporate campuses
  • Industrial, logistics, and transportation facilities
  • Complete Multi-Carrier Coverage: Ensures all tenants, employees, and visitors enjoy strong 4G and 5G signals regardless of their mobile carrier.
  • Cost and Space Efficiency: Lowers overall capital and operating expenditures and space requirements by consolidating the equipment, cabling, and installation of multiple carrier-specific networks.
  • Scalability & Capacity: DAS can handle tens of thousands of simultaneous users, making it the “gold standard” for large, high-traffic venues like stadiums, airports, and hospitals where neutral hosting is most common.
  • Increased Property Value: Enhances real estate desirability by providing robust, carrier-agnostic connectivity as a built-in venue amenity.
  • Building separate networks for each mobile operator is cost-prohibitive, disrupts business operations, and degrades aesthetics.

Neutral host DAS enables carriers to connect base transceiver stations, small cells, open RAN units, and more to a centralized headend located in the facility’s telecom room. The headend accepts both digital (CPRI/eCPRI) and RF analog inputs, digitizes/combines the signals, and transmits them over optical fiber to remote units distributed across the venue.

SOLiD provides a broad portfolio of carrier-grade DAS solutions for multi-operator environments, including:

  • SOLiD nGENESIS™: A 4th-generation, high-capacity digital platform built for 4G and 5G multi-operator connectivity across venues.
  • SOLiD ALLIANCE™: A modular active analog DAS designed for flexible multi-band carrier deployment.
  • SOLiD BARS™: A middleprise-focused solution designed for cost-effective multi-carrier coverage in commercial buildings.

nGENESIS features a universal headend that supports all remote power classes (from sub-1W nodes to 40W high-power remotes) on one unified platform. It accepts both digital (eCPRI/CPRI) and analog RF signal interfaces, features software-defined sector switching, and offers automatic node discovery to simplify installation and carrier onboarding.

SOLiD’s core design philosophy emphasizes compact, power-efficient DAS headends and remotes. For example, the nGENESIS platform features scalable remote radio nodes and flexible power allocation that reduce space requirements and radio node power consumption by more than 50% compared to legacy DAS systems. This allows property owners to cut energy costs, optimize space in the equipment room, and support more aggressive sustainability goals.

SOLiD platforms utilize high-capacity (up to two 25 Gbps) optical transport links, delivering up to 2400 MHz of cellular bandwidth with 4×4 MIMO support. By natively supporting  digital RF signal interfaces, SOLiD allows venues to seamlessly upgrade to new 5G bands (such as C-band) without needing to re-cable or overhaul remote infrastructure.