6-Floor Apartment Block: Covering 48 Units Behind Low-E Glass
A 4,800 m² apartment block had strong outdoor signal but weak indoor coverage. The shared system used per-floor antennas without entering every unit.
How to read this case
Anonymized representative project profile. Figures are rounded planning values from a typical site, not a client testimonial or a performance guarantee.
Profile published October 2026
Country / city
South Africa / Cape Town
Building
Apartments, 6 floors, 48 units
Covered area
4,800 m²
Envelope
Concrete frame + Low-E glazing
Operator
Vodacom, typical B1 / B3 / B7 / B38
Profile type
Deployed example
The constraint was the site, not the hardware
- Outdoor RSRP at the roof was about −64 dBm, but living rooms and bedrooms measured −95 to −99 dBm.
- Low-E glazing and the concrete frame attenuated the signal, and the body corporate did not want visible equipment in every unit.
- Coverage had to include common corridors and shared areas, not only individual apartments.
- TDD band support and 5G availability required a separate check.
Representative apartment RSRP
Before
−96 dBm
After
−82 dBm
Measured in living rooms away from windows
Representative test points: before and after
Representative test points with rounded values. Actual results vary with floor, walls, antenna position and operator load.
| Test point | Before RSRP | After RSRP | Before SINR | After SINR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Roof donor reference | −64 dBm | −64 dBm | 12 dB | 12 dB |
| Living room, floor 2 | −96 dBm | −82 dBm | 2 dB | 16 dB |
| Bedroom, floor 4 | −99 dBm | −84 dBm | 1 dB | 13 dB |
| Common corridor, floor 5 | −92 dBm | −78 dBm | 4 dB | 19 dB |
| Basement parkingNot part of the apartment coverage target | −108 dBm | −93 dBm | −2 dB | 5 dB |
What changed
- Tested apartments reached −80 to −86 dBm, with SINR of 13–19 dB.
- Common corridors and shared areas improved to −78 dBm or better.
- 5G performance was not guaranteed; TDD and 5G bands need a separate model and band review.
Engineering takeaways
- Residential shared systems need early coordination with the building management and access to risers.
- Low-E glass is a major loss source. Measure inside the actual apartments, not only in the corridor.
- Do not promise 5G without confirming the band, TDD/FDD mode and handset support.
Configuration used in this profile
Related solution
Residential Buildings
Hosts that can serve as a starting point
Final model and bands are confirmed against site measurements, operator and coverage target.
HAG-P5-37DB Five-Band Fiber Repeater
Five-band fiber repeater with 90–95 dB gain for tunnels and large sites.
AL-30 Multi-Band LCD Signal Booster
Multi-band booster with LCD display, AGC and isolation detection for 100–3,000 m² coverage.
HAG-33DB5P Five-Band Booster
Five-band 33 dBm booster for commercial and industrial sites.
Can one system serve 48 apartments?
In this profile, one host and 10 antennas covered the tested apartments and common areas. The design relies on shared antennas rather than one antenna per unit. Final coverage depends on the floor plan and wall losses.
Will every apartment get the same signal level?
No. Position, wall construction, furniture and distance from the antenna all affect RSRP. A site test after installation is used to confirm the actual range and adjust antennas.
Does the system support 5G?
The host can be configured for selected bands, but 5G support depends on the operator band, TDD/FDD mode and the handset. Confirm the exact 5G band before ordering.
Send us your site data
Download the survey pack, record outdoor RSRP, indoor test points, building envelope and photos, then send it for a first review.