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Cellular Status at UCAR. History. UCAR/NETS had installed limited cellular amplification over the last 5 years to accommodate business continuity requirements in computer rooms, facilities areas, and communication closets
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History • UCAR/NETS had installed limited cellular amplification over the last 5 years to accommodate business continuity requirements in computer rooms, facilities areas, and communication closets • CISL/NETS installed full cellular coverage at the NWSC due to limited coverage at the site • NCAB had recently approved full cellular coverage for all UCAR campuses due to the strategic nature of mobile device use for business purposes • FL4 and FLA have full cellular amplification (LEEDS construction greatly limits external cellular coverage)
FCC Ruling • In summer 2011, NETS and UCAR legal began monitoring FCC activity to limit cellular amplification • In the Spring of 2013, the FCC ruled that all non-vendor cellular amplification systems have to be approved by the vendor and then registered with the FCC • AT&T has refused to approve any of the UCAR installed cellular amplification systems (including NWSC which is tunable)
Business Case • NETS and UCAR legal have been pursuing AT&T and Verizon business cases to have the vendors install and support approved cellular systems • This is stalled pending signature of NDAs to release UCAR building drawings so a business case can be pursued
Cellular Integrator • Assuming the business case fails, UCAR can pursue hiring a cellular integrator to install an approved vendor system • The estimated cost is $1/occupied square foot • UCAR has 887K square feet of occupied space (not including RMMA, MFS, NWSC) • NWSC is likely to be approved by Verizon as is since tunable amplifiers and can turn down AT&T amplification • This is a base cost of $887K one time (with equipment refresh every 3-5 years) • There is also a one time Signal Source "Service" Costs per vendor, which varies from $150K to $375K per vendor • For Verizon only coverage, the one time cost could be: $1.037M
Options to lower/minimize cost • Continue to pursue Verizon business case to provide service at no cost (at least in FLA, FL4, Mesa Lab) • Don't amplify all occupied space - FLA, FL4, Mesa Lab priority • ~360K square feet • $360,000 + $150,000 = $510,000 • Could be largely bonded except cabling at ML and $150K one time signal source • Don't provide any amplified cellular service - depend on wireless (wifi) only • Full wifi coverage in all buildings/campuses • Email, Skype, Google hangouts, etc. can use wireless • Wifi applications are rapidly evolving, e.g. T-mobile already support VoIP • Continue to run existing amplifiers until complaints from carriers - not recommended by UCAR legal counsel • Have only received one complaint from AT&T to date and this was some time ago and related to an improperly installed server interfering with an amplification system • Could be stop-gap to buy us time once have a plan in place • Build a cellular amplification system ourselves that is pre-approved by Verizon (minimize use of an integrator) • Would have to verify this is a lower cost • All cases only support only one carrier