A large-scale distributed antenna system from Corning Inc. has been installed at the AmericasMart Atlanta wholesale trade center.
The system, which consists of almost 1,300 antennas and more than 250 fiber-fed remotes, was installed by H&M Networks in 12 weeks while the center remained open for business. AmericasMart Atlanta sells wholesale consumer goods with both permanent showrooms and temporary exhibits in three buildings with 15 floors and containing 7 million feet of space. The venue has a major global market event for coming up in January for home, gift and apparel wholesale buyers, and holds another such show in March with high attendance expectations; it is open year-round.
Jeff Portman, president and chief operating officer for AmericasMart Atlanta, said that the DAS “allows us to provide AmericasMart attendees the ability to do business without having to worry about slow data speeds or spotty voice coverage.”
“We’re continuing to see a growing demand for indoor cellular systems not only from wireless operators, but also from organizations like AmericasMart, who want to ensure their customers receive the best service possible. Our DAS addresses the needs of each of these groups,” said Mike O’Day, vice president of optical connectivity solutions for Corning, in a statement.
Derek Johnston, senior director of global marketing for Corning, told RCR that large, multi-use commercial location like AmericasMart are installing DAS in order to be competitive as a venue.
“They need to keep their patrons happy in terms of their overall connectivity and mobility while in the venue,” Johnston said. He added that the next tier of large retail venues, such as shopping malls, are also seeking to improve wireless connectivity in order to stay relevant in a world of increasing online shopping.
“They’re trying to get smarter,” Johnston said. “So many retailers are employing applications beyond the standard mobile point of sale and making it easy to do business. They’re doing personalized in-store shopping, or doing things like proximity-based alerts in terms of mobile messaging and marketing to drive content to folks and bring them in store, or keep them in store.”
