Rural cellular coverage was the problem here. The nearest cell tower sits a long distance from the site, leaving staff and visitors with dropped calls across greenhouses, distribution and retail operations.
Established in 1948, the grower is one of the largest growers and distributors of ornamental flowers and potted plants in North America, employing more than 200 people and generating 22.4 million in annual revenue. GT Global Services surveyed the site and installed indoor cellular signal boosters sized against the outdoor signal actually available.
At a glance
Key challenges
- A distant cell tower serving a rural location
- Dropped calls for staff and visitors
- Weak indoor signal, obstructed by thick walls and metal equipment
- An outdoor signal that was slightly better but still insufficient for reliable calls
- Outdoor amplification not feasible at this site because of oscillation
How we restored rural cellular coverage
- Site survey: measured indoor and outdoor signal to find where reception actually failed.
- Indoor signal boosters: installed and balanced against the outdoor signal available.
- Design around constraints: with outdoor amplification ruled out, coverage was concentrated inside the buildings.
The result
- No more dropped calls
- Improved staff productivity
- Better customer satisfaction
- Continuous point-of-sale operation
Reliable rural cellular coverage is achievable even in agricultural settings. With coverage in place, the site also opens up the possibility of wireless irrigation sensors to monitor plant health.
Losing calls at a rural site?
A survey first, then boosters sized to the signal you actually have.
Contact GT Global ServicesRelated: Wireless Solutions · IoTConnect360