Venue-Owned, Carrier Co-Funded In-Building Wireless Deployment Empowers REIT to Control Its Cellular Destiny

FARMINGTON HILLS, MI, July 25, 2019 – RF Connect, a national leader of enterprise wireless solutions, today announced it will deploy and manage a multi-carrier in-building wireless cellular network to be owned by Urban Land Interests (ULI) and co-funded by major wireless operators. The initiative, which will provide indoor cellular coverage for eight mixed-use buildings, defies the current market perception that wireless operators are unwilling to invest in enterprise projects.

“Tenant experience, which fundamentally includes the ability to make cellular calls and conduct data sessions indoors on smartphones, is integral to attracting and retaining tenants,” said Matthew Darga, Director of Commercial Property Management at ULI. “The customer-owned solution from RF Connect achieves critical business and technology outcomes which include lowered costs and control of the network.”

The RF Connect customer-owned indoor cellular solution is based on a model whereby the building owner owns the in-building wireless network, wireless operators fund all or part of the critical components including the radio frequency signal source, and the integrator operates and maintains the network.

“Given the evolving cellular landscape which includes LTE, 5G and CBRS Private Networks, it is pragmatic for building owners to control the in-building network,” said Frank Destito, Market Development Director at RF Connect. “We have repeatedly proven our ability to align the stakeholders to achieve win-win results despite the market’s prevailing impression that it’s ‘mission impossible’.”

RF Connect is an authority on developing wireless coverage strategies and has a successful track record of securing carrier investments, coordinating highly-complex projects, and negotiating carrier license agreements with major operators. “We’re proud to fulfill the business and technology goals of ULI,” said Jeff Hipchen, Executive Vice President at RF Connect. “Now, ULI has flexibility to add virtually any new provider or service to the network to support tenant applications and more.”

The project, which is located in downtown Madison, Wisconsin, is scheduled to commence in the coming weeks and will go on-air later this year.

RF Connect is showcasing customer-owned indoor cellular funding solutions this week at Realcomm 2019 in booth 1705.