Cell service in elevators, stairwells and parking garages.
The spaces between floors are where calls die: elevators, stairwells, loading docks and underground parking. We design coverage for those routes, not just the office floors.
What it looks like day to day.
A typical scenario based on the environments we work in, not a specific customer.
- Calls drop every time someone takes the elevator
- No signal in the parking garage
- Loading docks and mechanical rooms are dead zones
- Staff can't reach each other in back-of-house areas
Concrete and steel shafts block signal completely.
Elevators, stairwells and below-grade levels are wrapped in concrete and steel. They need their own antennas and cable pathways, planned alongside the building's other systems.
How we fix it.
Indoor cellular (often called DAS) brings AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile signal inside your building and spreads it where people are, so calls, texts and data just work.
Map the routes
Elevators, stairs, docks, garages and back-of-house.
Plan the pathways
Antennas and cable routes for shafts and garages.
Coordinate the work
Elevator contractors, facilities and carriers.
Verify the routes
Ride, walk and drive them when the project calls for it.
Designs start from your floor plans and each carrier's signal. We survey on site when the building calls for it.
What's different after.
Calls survive the elevator
No more 'I'll call you back'.
Safer garages
People can call from below grade.
Back-of-house connected
Staff reachable everywhere.
Where this works, and where something else fits better.
We recommend what solves the problem, even when it's a different solution.
A good fit for
- High-rises with elevator banks
- Hospitals and hotels with back-of-house routes
- Buildings with parking structures
Something else may fit better
- Code-required responder radio in these spaces is a separate system Read: Does one DAS cover both code and cell service? →
For your IT or engineering teamTechnical detail
The design decisions, the end-to-end path and how the result is tested.
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Technical detail
The design decisions, the end-to-end path and how the result is tested.
Elevator, stair, parking, loading, and back-of-house coverage should be scoped and accepted explicitly rather than inherited from nearby antennas.
Design decisions
| Design decision | What we need to understand | How we engineer it |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical method | Assess shaft, cab, lobby, floor, and elevator-equipment constraints. | Select antenna locations and pathways with elevator and code stakeholders. |
| Parking geometry | Map decks, ramps, columns, low ceilings, entrances, and traffic routes. | Design distributed antennas around concrete loss and long horizontal paths. |
| Operational scope | Define commercial cellular zones separately from public-safety requirements. | Coordinate systems while retaining distinct authorities and acceptance. |
The end-to-end path
- CARRIER SOURCEParticipating networksSupported bands and cells
- DAS DISTRIBUTIONHeadend · fiber · coaxBalanced branches and monitoring
- SPECIAL ZONESShaft · cab · parkingPurpose-built antenna paths
- MOBILE USEROccupant · staff · vendorContinuity through transitions
Commercial cellular in these spaces must not be presented as a substitute for required public-safety radio coverage or elevator emergency systems.
How the result is tested
- Elevator test Ride every served bank, direction, and representative floor route.
- Parking test Drive and walk ramps, decks, payment, loading, and pedestrian zones.
- Voice test Maintain calls through doors, movement, and below-grade transitions.
- Data test Verify messaging, authentication, navigation, and payment-related access.
- Alarm test Monitor dedicated branches, remotes, power, fiber, and headend conditions.
- Boundary test Document commercial, public-safety, and elevator-system responsibilities.
You might also be dealing with.
Coverage depends on which floor you lease
Make cell service a building amenity for every tenant.
Offices & real estateSee how it's solved Indoor cellularCase IC-02Calls drop in the hospital's interior and basement
Keep phones working for clinicians, patients and visitors throughout the building.
HealthcareSee how it's solved Indoor cellularCase IC-06Does one DAS cover both code and cell service?
Understand the two systems before the building inspection.
Offices & real estate · Public sector & safety · HealthcareSee how it's solvedNext Indoor cellular use case: Does one DAS cover both code and cell service? → · About Indoor Cellular & DAS →
Tell us where the phones stop working.
Share what's happening and where. We'll recommend the right fix and the next step, starting from your floor plans or site details.