Messiah College Deploys ADC’s InterReach Fusion® Indoor Distributed Antenna System (DAS) for Indoor Cellular Coverage
Messiah College Deploys ADC’s InterReach Fusion System for High-Performance In-Building Cellular Coverage
Multi-phase Approach Allows Easy Expansion to Other Academic and Residence Buildings Via Fiber
Five Large Academic Buildings Covered in First Phase
“Reverse 911” System Can Text-message Students and Staff in Emergencies
MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–ADC (NASDAQ: ADCT – News) (www.adc.com) today announced that Messiah College, a nationally-ranked Christian college in Grantham, Pennsylvania, has deployed its InterReach Fusion® indoor distributed antenna system (DAS) to provide strong and consistent indoor cellular coverage. The initial deployment covers five academic buildings, but this is the first of a multi-phase approach that will ultimately cover all major academic areas as well as residence facilities on the 471-acre campus.
The InterReach Fusion system was selected over other solutions because it offered superior flexibility and was more cost-effective to expand over time.
“We wanted to consolidate all of the head-end equipment at one location, but the other vendors wanted us to deploy donor antennas on every building we covered, and they couldn’t support the multimode fiber we have in some buildings,” said Chris Culbert, director of ITS/Telecom for Messiah College. ”With the Fusion system, we can use just one donor antenna for each carrier and link all the other locations via our single-mode and multimode fiber. That makes it much easier to expand the system as we roll out additional phases.”
The InterReach Fusion DAS supports voice and data users of AT&T and Verizon services, who represent more than 95 percent of the campus user base. The system will provide greater convenience for students and staff, but it also adds an extra layer of security for emergency communications. With the initial deployment complete, the college’s “reverse-911” system can automatically send out text alerts to all student and staff cell phones if an emergency notification is needed.
The initial deployment was completed in three weeks during the summer of 2009 and covers five buildings: the Eisenhower Campus Center, Jordan Science Center, Sollenberger Sports Center, Kline Hall, and Boyer Hall. ADC contractors deployed two InterReach Fusion main hubs at the head-end in Boyer Hall, and added five expansion hubs and 40 remote antenna units to provide coverage in the other buildings. For future expansion, it will be easy to add capacity at the head-end and then deploy additional expansion hubs and antenna units in other buildings.
“From large universities such as Michigan State and Duke University to smaller institutions like Messiah College and Ave Maria University, ADC’s InterReach products have been chosen for in-building cellular coverage on college campuses because they deliver consistent coverage, easy scalability, and superior performance,” said John Spindler, vice president of product management at ADC. “Our Fusion system in particular is ideal for Messiah College because it can use existing fiber plant and is very easy and cost effective to expand.”
About ADC Network Solutions
ADC’s Network Solutions Business Unit offers products that help service providers and enterprises deliver high-performance wireless coverage and capacity to business and consumer subscribers in any indoor or outdoor location. ADC is the global leader in advanced, in-building wireless solutions, and in solutions that enhance coverage and manage capacity in macro networks.
About ADC
ADC provides the connections for wireline, wireless, cable, broadcast, and enterprise networks around the world. ADC’s innovative network infrastructure equipment and professional services enable high-speed Internet, data, video, and voice services to residential, business and mobile subscribers. ADC (NASDAQ: ADCT – News) has sales into more than 130 countries. Learn more about ADC at www.adc.com.
