📍 B-1001, Sector-4, Dwarka, New Delhi 110078
📞 +91-8800334308 contact@asdvconsultant.com
India's Trusted ELV & ICT Design Consultancy

Distributed Antenna System (DAS) Design

Passive and active DAS design for 4G LTE, 5G NR and multi-operator indoor cellular coverage across hospitals, airports, stadiums, tunnels, offices and shopping malls.

3GPP NBC India TRAI AutoCAD / Revit 5G NR Ready
Typical DAS Topology
SIGNAL SOURCE BTS / Small Cell / DAS Hub HEAD-END UNIT (BDA) Bidirectional Amplifier / Master Unit SPL SPL SPL Zone A Zone B Zone C
10+
Years
200+
Projects
5G
NR Ready
4
Operators

Where DAS Delivers

Any large or signal-challenged structure benefits from a professionally engineered DAS solution.

🏥

Hospitals

Life-safety & patient connectivity across dense RCC structures.

✈️

Airports

Multi-operator coverage across terminals, concourses & aprons.

🏟️

Stadiums & Arenas

High-capacity coverage for 50,000+ simultaneous users.

🚇

Tunnels & Metro

Continuous in-tunnel cellular & public safety radio coverage.

🏢

Offices & Towers

Seamless floor-by-floor coverage in high-rise buildings.

🛍️

Shopping Malls

Carrier-neutral multi-operator support for retail environments.

🎓

Campuses

University, corporate & industrial campus-wide cellular overlay.

🏨

Hotels & Resorts

Guest coverage with ERRCS public safety overlay.

Passive vs. Active vs. Hybrid DAS

Choosing the right architecture is the most critical design decision — it affects cost, scalability, frequency agility and long-term maintainability.

Parameter Passive DAS Active DAS Hybrid DAS
Signal DistributionCoaxial cable + passive splitters/couplersFiber optic + Remote Units (RUs)Fiber to hubs, coax to antennas
Typical Coverage Area< 50,000 sq ft> 100,000 sq ft (unlimited floors)50,000 – 500,000 sq ft
Frequency AgilityLimited by passive component bandwidthHigh — software-configurableModerate
Upfront CostLowHighMedium
ScalabilityLimitedExcellentGood
5G NR SupportSub-6 GHz (wideband components)Full — Sub-6 & mmWave capableSub-6 GHz
Best ForSmall buildings, single carrierLarge venues, multi-carrier, 5GMid-size multi-floor buildings
FULL DAS SYSTEM ARCHITECTURE OPERATOR BTS 4G LTE / 5G NR Node 700/1800/2100/3500 MHz RF Feed BIDIRECTIONAL AMP Head-End / BDA / Master Unit Gain: 60–85 dB | UL + DL MASTER SPLITTER Power Division ZONE A — Basement ZONE B — Ground Floor ZONE C — Upper Floors 2-WAY 4-WAY 4-WAY NMS / MONITORING Remote Alarm & Analytics PUBLIC SAFETY ERRCS / BDA Overlay Indoor Antenna Splitter Head-End / BDA Operator BTS NMS ERRCS / BDA

Our 6-Step DAS Design Methodology

A rigorous, standards-driven process from site survey to operator coordination package — delivered in AutoCAD and Revit.

01

Site Survey & Coverage Analysis

Walk-through survey, building material assessment, incumbent signal measurement and 3D RF propagation modelling.

02

RF Assessment & Link Budget

Frequency band selection, path-loss calculations, noise figure analysis and uplink/downlink power budget verification per band.

03

System Architecture Selection

Passive / Active / Hybrid recommendation based on coverage area, carrier count, 5G roadmap and CAPEX/OPEX targets.

04

Antenna Placement & Cable Design

AutoCAD/Revit floor plans with antenna coordinates, cable routes, splitter/coupler selection, BoQ and PIM-risk review.

05

Head-End & Equipment Design

BDA/MU rack design, power sizing, ERRCS overlay, grounding & bonding plan, NMS/remote monitoring architecture.

06

Operator Documentation

Complete operator coordination package: acceptance test plan, commissioning checklist and drive/walk-test report template.

Key RF Design Targets

Industry-standard performance benchmarks that guide every ASDV DAS design — verified against 3GPP, TRAI and operator acceptance criteria.

Min. DL RSRP (LTE)
−95dBm
Indoor edge target for 4G LTE downlink reference signal received power.
Min. DL RSRP (5G NR)
−105dBm
5G NR indoor coverage threshold per 3GPP TS 38.104.
Min. SINR (LTE)
+3dB
Signal-to-interference-noise ratio for reliable LTE service.
Max UL Noise Rise
+5dB
Maximum acceptable uplink noise rise at BTS due to DAS feed.
Antenna EIRP (Indoor)
+10dBm
Typical effective isotropic radiated power per indoor antenna port.
Cable Loss (7/8")
3.5dB/100m
At 2100 MHz — for trunk cable budget allocation.
PIM Threshold
−150dBc
Passive intermodulation spec for all passive components.
Public Safety RSSI
−95dBm
Min. inbound/outbound RSSI for ERRCS compliance per NBC India.

DAS Component Catalog

ASDV designs are component-agnostic. We specify from leading vendors and ensure carrier-accepted equipment selection.

📡

Indoor Antennas

Omni-directional ceiling, panel and directional wall-mount types.

  • Omni: 0–3 dBi gain, 360° azimuth
  • Panel: 5–8 dBi, 65°–90° beam
  • 700 MHz – 6 GHz wideband variants
  • PIM rated: −153 dBc typical
🔌

Coaxial Cable

Trunk and distribution cabling sized for loss budget compliance.

  • 1/2" Superflexible: ~6.9 dB/100m @2GHz
  • 7/8" Corrugated: ~3.5 dB/100m @2GHz
  • LMR-400: ~5.5 dB/100m @2GHz
  • Fire-rated LSZH jacket available

Splitters & Couplers

Passive power division network — heart of passive DAS design.

  • 2-way: ~3.5 dB insertion loss
  • 4-way: ~7.5 dB insertion loss
  • Directional couplers: 6–20 dB tap values
  • PIM rating: −160 dBc
📶

Bidirectional Amplifier (BDA)

Head-end signal amplification for passive and hybrid systems.

  • Gain: 60–85 dB selectable
  • Multi-band: 700/850/1800/2100 MHz
  • Automatic Gain Control (AGC)
  • TRAI / WPC type-approved
🖥️

Active Remote Units (RU)

Fiber-connected remote radio units for active DAS architectures.

  • Fiber input: single-mode, up to 20 km
  • Output power: +20 to +33 dBm
  • 4G/5G NR software-upgradeable
  • Vendors: SOLiD, JMA, CommScope
🌐

Network Management System

Remote monitoring, alarm management and performance analytics.

  • Real-time RSSI / gain monitoring
  • Email / SMS alarm notification
  • Web dashboard + mobile app
  • SNMP / REST API integration

RF Link Budget Calculator

Estimate your DAS link budget instantly. Enter your system parameters to check downlink coverage feasibility.

EIRP at Antenna Port
dBm

Standards & Regulatory Compliance

Every ASDV DAS design is engineered to comply with applicable Indian and international standards.

3GPP TS 36.104 / TS 38.104

LTE & 5G NR Base Station Standards

RF performance, frequency band, RSRP/SINR targets and emission limits for LTE & 5G NR indoor systems.

NBC India 2016

National Building Code – Fire & Safety

Mandatory ERRCS/public safety radio coverage requirements for buildings above 15m height and special occupancies.

NFPA 72 / NFPA 1225

Public Safety Communications

In-building coverage standards for first-responder radio systems — applied to projects with international scope.

TRAI Regulations

Telecom Regulatory Authority of India

In-building solution regulations, repeater guidelines, frequency allocation and operator interface requirements.

TIA-4966 / BICSI 005

In-Building Telecommunications Cabling

Structured cabling topology, cable classification and installation practices for wireless distribution systems.

IEC 61196 / EIA-TIA-568

Coaxial Cable & Connector Standards

Performance specifications for coaxial cables, N-type and DIN 7-16 connectors used throughout the DAS plant.

Real-World DAS Deployments

Representative projects illustrating ASDV's design approach across diverse environments.

🏥 Healthcare

350-Bed Multi-Specialty Hospital, NCR

Challenge

Dense RCC structure blocking all four operators; ICU & OT zones requiring 99.9% coverage for patient monitoring and staff communication.

Solution

Passive DAS on 1800/2100/2300 MHz with ERRCS public safety overlay; 120 ceiling antennas across 8 floors.

Outcome

−85 dBm minimum RSRP across 99% of floor area; NBC-compliant ERRCS sign-off achieved.

120
Antennas
4
Operators
99%
Coverage
8
Floors
🏟️ Sports & Entertainment

30,000-Seat Indoor Sports Arena, Delhi

Challenge

Simultaneous 30,000 user demand during events; macro signal blocked by steel roof; multi-operator requirements on single neutral-host system.

Solution

Active DAS with fibre-fed remote units; 280 sector antennas targeting bowl, concourse & VIP areas; Jio, Airtel & Vi on single platform.

Outcome

Peak throughput 2.4 Gbps aggregate; avg per-user DL 12 Mbps during full capacity event.

280
Antennas
3
Operators
2.4G
bps Peak
5G
Ready
🚇 Transit & Underground

1.8 km Metro Tunnel Section, Mumbai

Challenge

Zero ambient RF underground; continuous coverage required for passenger connectivity and mandatory CBTC train control radio communication.

Solution

Leaky feeder DAS on 700/1800 MHz for cellular plus 400 MHz trunked radio for CBTC; wayside antenna nodes every 100m.

Outcome

−88 dBm minimum tunnel coverage; zero dead-zones; CBTC handoff latency <20 ms throughout.

1.8
km Tunnel
18
Nodes
0
Dead-Zones
24/7
Uptime

Design Deliverables

Every ASDV DAS project includes a complete, construction-ready documentation package.

01

Antenna Placement Drawings

AutoCAD/Revit floor plans with exact antenna coordinates, cable routes, tray layouts and zone annotations.

02

RF Link Budget Report

Per-frequency, per-zone link budget with RSSI/SINR analysis, coverage prediction maps and margin calculations.

03

System Architecture Diagram

Single-line head-end to antenna schematic showing all active/passive components and signal levels.

04

Bill of Quantities (BoQ)

Itemised hardware BoQ with quantities, specifications and approved vendor alternatives for procurement.

05

Technical Specifications

Equipment specs, installation notes, testing requirements and quality standards for contractor guidance.

06

Operator Coordination Package

Carrier submission drawings, acceptance test plan, commissioning checklist and TRAI/NBC compliance statement.

Frequently Asked Questions

Passive DAS uses coaxial cables, splitters and directional couplers to distribute signal from a central BDA/repeater — no power required at distribution points, cost-effective for buildings up to ~50,000 sq ft. Active DAS converts RF to optical at the head-end and uses powered Remote Units (RUs) at each antenna cluster, ideal for large multi-floor buildings, stadiums and any deployment requiring 5G NR or multi-operator support on a single fibre plant.

ERRCS (Emergency Responder Radio Communication System) — also called a Public Safety DAS — provides dedicated radio coverage for fire brigade, police and emergency services inside a building. NBC India 2016 mandates ERRCS for buildings exceeding 15 metres height, hospitals, airports, metro stations and public assembly spaces. ASDV designs ERRCS as a standalone overlay or integrated with the commercial DAS.

Yes — this is called a Neutral Host DAS. A single antenna infrastructure can simultaneously serve Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL across 4G LTE and 5G NR bands. Each operator connects their signal source to the common head-end via a combiner, and the shared plant distributes all signals. ASDV designs include inter-operator isolation analysis and PIM checks to ensure all carriers meet their individual RF acceptance criteria.

All ASDV DAS designs are 5G-aware. For passive DAS, we specify wideband antennas and cables rated for sub-6 GHz (up to 3.5 GHz / n78 band). For active DAS, we design fibre infrastructure that supports 5G NR software upgrades on active RUs. We factor in 5G NR-specific requirements such as wider channel bandwidths, tighter RSRP thresholds (−105 dBm) and UL/DL configuration in all link budgets.

A typical DAS design takes 2–6 weeks depending on building size and complexity. A small office building (under 50,000 sq ft, single operator) can be completed in 2 weeks. A large multi-operator hospital or stadium with ERRCS and 5G scope typically takes 4–6 weeks. Preliminary drawings are issued within 1 week; final coordinated package at project close.

Yes. ASDV prepares a complete operator coordination package including carrier-format drawings, link budget reports and acceptance test plans formatted to Jio / Airtel / Vi / BSNL submission requirements. We support you through the technical review process and address carrier RF engineer queries, significantly reducing approval time.

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