Chicomm Blog

Reliable in-building wireless communication is essential for safety and efficiency. Whether it is public safety teams coordinating during emergencies, hospital staff relying on instant communication, or employees depending on WiFi for daily operations, strong connectivity keeps people and systems working together.

Many facilities continue to experience dead zones, dropped calls, or unreliable radio coverage within their buildings. If that sounds familiar, you are not alone, and the good news is that there are proven ways to fix it.

At Chicago Communications, we’re here to help you understand why these problems happen and how to solve them for good. 

This guide explains why wireless coverage fails indoors and the solutions that restore clear, consistent communication across your building or campus.

When looking into improving your in-building communication, you'll probably come across the terms: Signal Booster, BDA (bi-directional amplifier), or DAS (Distributed Antenna System). If you’re experiencing issues such as dead zones or spotty reception, you know how frustrating poor coverage can be, causing lost productivity and safety issues.  

A DAS is a network of antennas placed throughout a building used to boost wireless signals, typically in large buildings like campuses, hospitals, hotels, or manufacturing plants. 

A bi-directional amplifier is a device that locates a wireless signal, amplifies it, and then rebroadcasts it throughout your building. It also helps your two-way radios and smartphones avoid dropping calls or receiving spotty coverage. This blog provides more insight into how this actually happens, and the next steps to take if you think a BDA and DAS might solve your communications problems.

Every year, it seems that the communications needs of companies and organizations evolve. Sure, the general needs are fairly consistent - reliable and secure communication, ensuring the safety of students/guests/patients, etc. - but goals evolve, and so do challenges.

This post is a quick look at four of the most common communications challenges that organizations across the country encounter on a daily basis. These aren’t industry-specific, as they relate on some level to multiple industries. For more information on how your organization can overcome these challenges, you can download our free eBook, the Wireless Communication Survival Guide.

Here are four of the most common communication challenges:

As more districts are discovering every day, two-way radios in K-12 schools are the centerpiece of any effective safety plan.

Radios outpace cell phones in terms of reliability, durability, and functionality, and there are tailored radio solutions available regardless of the communications challenges schools and districts face.

This safety guide with case studies provides a comprehensive overview of two-way radios in K-12 schools and the options available for overcoming infrastructure, geographic and logistical issues.  

If you’re in charge with improving communication technology at your company, whether you’re in public safety, education, manufacturing, healthcare, or hospitality, you may have heard of the functionality and power of a distributed antenna system. From there, your research may have led you to a distributed antenna system company. At this point, questions often steamroll. What do distributed antenna system companies do? And, do you really need one?

This overview can provide education to help inform your decision and set you on a path to the right solution.

Of course, communications with clients and customers is key to meeting deliverables. But how you make processes work on the inside determines how well you satisfy those clients and customers and how efficient and effective you are in the process. That’s where the ability to communicate across your organization, through any situation, is essential. So, what are the best internal communications tools to ensure your teams deliver? An investment in the following equipment can keep staff connected. 

Microcell technology sounds like something you may have heard in biology class. But in the world of communications, it’s actually referring to the latest approach to expanding cellular networks and boosting connectivity. Here we take a closer look at this technology and three things you should know about its effect on the future of your business communications.

For almost every industry, the ability to provide consistent, reliable connection among staff, customers, clients, and all stakeholders is essential. But questions can arise when it comes to what technology, such as wireless broadband and fiber connectivity, is truly needed. Here we’ll explore the most cited features of both.

If you’re in the market for communications technologies to improve your operations, two terms you’ll hear frequently are WIFI and CBRS. Here, we look at WIFI vs CBRS, including their definitions, benefits and key differences to provide insights to help you determine which one is a fit for your company or organization.

Recently, businesses that use wireless technology have been turning to Citizens Broadband Radio Service or CBRS as a solution to effective communications, especially indoors. This LTE-based solution can enable both in-building and outdoor coverage, massively expanding capacity. Here’s what you need to know about CBRS or OnGo when choosing a wireless solution.