When’s the Best Time to Plan for Mobile Coverage in Your New Building?

When you’re designing or constructing a new building, whether it’s a commercial office, a warehouse, a school or a healthcare facility, there’s a lot to consider: layout, materials, lighting, HVAC, cabling, IT… the list is long.

But one key consideration often gets overlooked until it’s too late: cellular signal coverage.

Poor Signal = Poor Experience

You might have full bars standing outside the front entrance, but step into the basement, stairwell, or even an internal office and you’re suddenly faced with no bars, dropped calls, or painfully slow mobile data. This isn’t just frustrating. It can be disruptive to operations, especially for teams using mobile phones for day-to-day work, communication, safety, or logistics apps.

Fixing mobile signal problems after construction is possible. But it can also be more expensive and less efficient. The best time to think about mobile coverage is before your building is complete.

Early Planning = Smart Budgeting

At Signal Sight, we recommend starting your mobile coverage planning during the early design or pre-fitout phase. Why?

• You can plan cable runs while walls are open

• You can assess rooftop or outdoor donor antenna positions before HVAC or solar takes up all the space

• You’ll have time to understand your signal environment before finalising materials (some wall types seriously affect signal)

• Most importantly, you can budget for what’s needed before tenants move in or staff complain

Start with a Virtual Assessment

Our process begins with a virtual assessment. You simply share:

• Site address or coordinates

• Floor plans (if available)

• Usage type and known pain points (e.g. “boardroom has no signal”)

Using this, we assess the external cellular signal levels across Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. From there we identify whether you’re likely to need repeater technology for internal areas.

This gives you a zero-obligation view of your situation and helps determine:

• Is the outdoor signal strong enough to bring indoors?

• Would basic coverage for calls suffice, or is full 4G/5G data needed?

• Will the whole building need coverage, or just specific problem zones such as basement levels, lift lobbies or warehouses?

Follow Up with an Onsite Survey

If the virtual assessment indicates issues, we can conduct a professional onsite survey. Our technicians measure:

• Signal strength outside and inside

• Antenna placement options (roof, balcony, facade)

• Cable run paths and distance

• Environmental concerns (riser access, ceiling height, site induction needs)

From this we provide a report and system design, including a Bill of Materials (BoM), heatmap visuals if required, and install scope. You’ll be fully informed before committing.

Whether it’s a small office zone needing one repeater and antenna, or a full-building repeater solution covering three levels with high call volumes, we tailor the solution to your need and your timeline.

Signal Sorted Before the Paint Dries

Think of it like Wi-Fi or fire detection. Mobile signal coverage should be part of your early build checklist. It’s easy to overlook but incredibly costly to retrofit once the building is occupied.

With Signal Sight’s virtual tools and site survey capability, you’ll know exactly what you’re dealing with before you cut any concrete.

Ready to plan ahead?📍 Reach out to Signal Sight Consulting to book a virtual mobile signal assessment today.

✉️ imran@signalsight.au📞 0425 780 811🌐 www.signalsight.au