Case Study / Education & Research
Challenge
Staff, researchers, and visitors at the UCD National Institute for Bioprocessing Research and Training had long endured frustrating gaps in indoor mobile coverage, which disrupted both communication and productivity. The institute’s building materials and internal layout created significant attenuation, leaving many offices, training rooms, and laboratory spaces with ineffective mobile reception. These connectivity issues hindered routine communications, threatened timely coordination in critical situations, and limited the use of SIM-enabled devices essential to campus operations. After exhausting local carrier escalation routes, UCD Lab contacted WaveBoosters to provide a permanent, compliant, and professional remediation.
Solution
WaveBoosters stepped in after the client’s request and conducted a thorough site inspection on the 25th of September 2023. Using industry-standard spectrum analysis tools, we validated external signal availability on the 900MHz, 1800MHz and 2100MHz bands and confirmed the viability of our approach. We proposed and implemented a wired distribution solution: a rooftop donor antenna to capture macro-cell signals; LMR400 low-loss coax run into secure amplifier locations in the server room; and a distributed antenna network (DAS) of ceiling-mounted omni antennas and discreet panel units across corridors, labs and communal areas. This architecture was selected to ensure consistent in-building distribution and strong performance for all Irish mobile networks. We also recommended and implemented multiple repeaters/systems where necessary to avoid overloading a single amplifier and to guarantee coverage redundancy.
Installation
The installation followed strict site safety and engineering protocols. Donor antennas were mounted to achieve optimal line-of-sight to local masts. Coaxial feeds were routed through risers and cable trays to minimize disruption. Amplifiers were configured and tuned in-situ to prevent oscillation and to comply with regulatory limits. Internal antennas were positioned based on measured propagation characteristics to maximize coverage while remaining visually unobtrusive.
Results
Post-installation verification & final installation walk-through was completed on the 3rd Of November 2023 and another formal health check in January 2025 confirmed substantial performance gains. Measured results showed a transition prior to our expert install from unacceptable indoor levels (-110 to -120 dBm) to consistently strong readings between -61 dBm and -85 dBm across Vodafone, Eir and Three.
Operationally, staff reported far fewer to zero dropped calls, to improved mobile data throughput for research applications, and consistent performance for SIM-enabled devices including POS terminals and IoT equipment. The system delivered and still offers broad coverage in offices, training spaces and labs — meeting the institute’s operational requirements.
WaveBoosters’ intervention provided the UCD Lab with a durable, regulatory-compliant solution that resolved a long-standing connectivity challenge. The wired distribution of indoor antennas is now delivering remarkable, campus-wide signal performance for all Irish networks—supporting the institute’s mission-critical communications and day-to-day operations. The lab now benefits from a resilient, future-ready infrastructure that will scale with evolving mobile technologies.
