Struggling with in-building wireless coverage? You’re not alone. The newly built Abbotsford Law Courts (ALC)—a flagship judicial facility in British Columbia’s Fraser Valley—faced critical cellular coverage gaps that affected daily operations and communications. To address this, our partner Cartel Communications delivered a robust, future-ready CrossFire™ Distributed Antenna System (DAS) tailored to ALC’s needs.
Key highlights of the solution include:

● Seamless, building-wide signal coverage
● Scalable architecture for long-term flexibility
● Reliable performance

Want to see how we made it happen? Check out the full case study.

CUSTOMER

• ➤ Government - Province of British Columbia

• ➤ Building - Abbotsford Law Courts

• ➤ Address - Abbotsford, British Columbia

PROJECT DURATION

• ➤ 2022 – 2023; Ongoing SLA

PRODUCT

• ➤ BTI Wireless CrossFire Digital DAS
• ➤ 60 BTI Wireless Active Antennas
• ➤ Frequency bands supported - 850, 1900, 2100, and 2600 MHz

SOLUTION

• ➤ Designed, supplied, installed, and commissioned a fibre-fed digital active cellular DAS that provides coverage for another major Canadian wireless carrier, with scalability to support more in the future.
• ➤ Service support through 3-year SLA with extended warranty

BACKGROUND

To accommodate the rapid growth of the Lower Fraser Valley, one of British Columbia's fastest-growing regions, the Province of British Columbia invested $150 million in the construction of the new Abbotsford Law Courts (ALC). This state-of-the-art facility, which opened in 2021, serves as a key judicial hub, housing both the Provincial Court of BC and the Supreme Court of BC. Spanning 16,723 square meters, ALC features 14 courtrooms—eight for the Provincial Court, three for the Supreme Court, and three for judicial conferences. The facility also includes a basement, a 336-stall parkade, and LEED Gold certification.

CHALLENGES

Cartel was hired after the construction of the ALC building was completed because the customer only had cellular coverage for one Canadian wireless operator. Subcontracted by Plenary Group and Johnson Controls, BTI‘s partner Cartel was tasked with designing, supplying, installing, and commissioning a cellular DAS to provide coverage for a second Canadian wireless carrier, with the scalability and flexibility to support additional carriers in the future.

The challenge of this project lies in the fact that the building was constructed with materials such as concrete and Low-E glass throughout—these materials block cellular signal levels, resulting in virtually no signal to make calls, making it crucial to integrate a solution that met both technological and environmental standards. This became even more complicated in unique areas of the building where there are anti-ligature considerations as well as additional material reinforcement that causes further signal attenuation.

The fibre-fed architecture eliminated the need for an external donor antenna or off-air repeaters, enhanced system capacity, respected the wireless operator guidance, and reduced the potential impacts of the existing outdoor macro coverage. The DAS was designed to support one major Canadian wireless provider’s frequencies, including 850 MHz, 1900 MHz, 2100 MHz, and 2600 MHz and is also capable of onboarding additional carriers when required.

The results were outstanding. Pre- and post-installation heat maps were generated to visually verify enhanced coverage distribution. Final testing confirmed that over 95% of the facility achieved the required cellular performance standards. As pioneers in digital DAS BTI Wireless have been offering high-capacity multi-band solutions for the largest venues worldwide. By leveraging advanced technology and industry expertise, BTI Wireless ensures seamless connectivity that meets operational, regulatory, and user demands. If your requires reliable in-building cellular or public safety wireless coverage enhancement, contact BTI Wireless today to discuss a tailored solution that enhances communication and operational efficiency.

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