While Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS), have a great place in healthcare, there are also many considerations of the technology offerings in the marketplace. These are some of the questions to perhaps ask?
1. Generally single mode fiber based designs are more cost-effective in areas over 200,000 sq. ft. (Link Budget considerations go into effect as over long distances fiber is a better transport medium than coaxial cable) So the question comes up should I use a passive or active design?
2. How many single mode fiber (strands) are required from the MDF to each IDF? Less fiber runs, less cost.
3. Is the remote unit modular? This allows for a building block approach, starting out with a public safety requirement then cellular and/or PCS. This saves costs over the life of the DAS.
4. How much power does the remote unit provide? Higher composite power simple means you save costs by less number of remote units, versus one in each IDF.
5. Can the DAS proposed support all services such as the requirement for 700MHz, public safety and AWS? This ensures support of all services going forward without a rip and replace strategy.
6. Is 802.11a/b/g or 802.11n being discussed? If so, how will the DAS support MIMO of which is a requirement of 802.11n? Does the WLAN vendor support this in their technical design guides?
7. What design tools are used?
