Construcciones Yamaro: Why in-building mobile connectivity matters below ground
Below ground, Powertec Telecommunications is treating in-building mobile connectivity as essential infrastructure for safety, emergency communication and modern building systems.
Mobile connectivity is assumed as standard in today’s buildings, yet it consistently breaks down in one of the most intensively used parts of the built environment: basements and car parks. Too often dismissed as a post-construction technical oversight, the consequences surface in long-term asset performance and, in some cases, user safety.
As commercial operations manager at Powertec Telecommunications, Tom Bolton sees the pattern repeated across residential towers, commercial offices and retail developments. He says builders and developers need to treat in-building coverage as a core building service, particularly in underground environments.
“Basements and car parks continue to be mobile coverage black spots. At a very basic level, signal is coming from external towers, and once a building starts to go below ground, that signal becomes harder to access. Modern construction is also working harder to maximise available space, which means deeper basements and more complex structures,” he explains.
“The challenge is twofold. First, the materials used in construction make it difficult for signal to penetrate the building envelope. Second, once below ground level, mobile signal is similar to light – it often does not travel through solid structures or underground.”
Without an integrated in-building mobile coverage solution, basements, stairwells and car parks are left with unreliable or unavailable signal, with implications that are not limited to convenience.
During construction, underground areas are active work zones that depend on continuous communication for coordination and safety. Once operational, those same spaces serve residents, visitors, maintenance teams and contractors who expect uninterrupted access to emergency services.
Bolton notes that underground car parks today are generally well designed and safer than in previous decades, yet the inability to call Triple Zero during a medical event or accident introduces a risk that no amount of lighting or ventilation can offset.
Powertec has been engaged on projects prompted by incidents involving users who could not exit their vehicles or summon assistance, scenarios that quickly reframe mobile coverage as a core safety requirement.
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Lone worker exposure adds another layer of risk. Maintenance and inspection tasks in basements and plant areas frequently occur in isolation, often outside normal operating hours. While man-down systems and emergency alert devices are increasingly specified, they rely on mobile connectivity to function. Without coverage, these systems offer compliance comfort without practical protection, leaving workers exposed and asset owners vulnerable.
While safety alone is sufficient to prioritise in-building mobile coverage in car parks and basements, underground connectivity also supports more than basic communications. It enables modern building systems and services that are now being digitised into IoT platforms.
Bolton notes that manufacturers favour cellular connectivity for its simplicity, eliminating the need for WiFi configuration and credential management. HVAC controls, environmental monitoring, electricity meters and lift emergency phones are now routinely reliant on mobile networks, as are parking payment systems and access controls.
The rise of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure further reinforces the requirement. Chargers depend on connectivity for monitoring, billing and fault reporting, yet many are installed in basements never designed with mobile coverage in mind. Without in-building solutions, reliability suffers and operational risk sits with owners and operators.
“Further, mobile broadband modems, emergency pendants and security systems often rely on cellular connectivity,” says Bolton. “Connectivity enables smarter buildings and safer environments.”
Regulation is beginning to respond. In 2024, the Australian Government introduced telecommunications requirements for new housing developments of 50 lots or more to consider mobile coverage during planning, signalling an expectation that connectivity should be treated as an essential service alongside water, electricity and gas. Bolton sees similar expectations emerging for high-rise residential developments of comparable scale.
“All of this reinforces that mobile connectivity underpins safety, compliance and the future functionality of modern buildings,” he says.
Despite its importance, responsibility for in-building mobile coverage is poorly defined, which is why Powertec is often engaged late in the project lifecycle or after construction is complete.
“For larger buildings above certain size thresholds, there is usually a requirement to install a distributed antenna system, or DAS, to bring mobile signal from outside and propagate it throughout the building and down into car park and basement areas,” says Bolton.
“In many tender processes, that requirement is either overlooked or loosely bundled into the electrical scope. Electrical contractors then find themselves needing to retrofit a solution late in the build.
“Historically, systems were sometimes installed without proper engagement with mobile carriers. The infrastructure would be there, but without carrier agreements in place, activation would be deferred to the building owner, often with substantial and unexpected fees.”
Bolton says identifying the need for a DAS early and engaging a communications specialist avoids those outcomes.
“It removes hidden costs and surprises and allows the most suitable and cost-effective solution to be selected,” he says. “The key is collaboration between builders, approved electrical contractors and communications experts from the outset.”
When in-building mobile coverage is considered during planning and design, Bolton explains, project teams can establish realistic performance objectives, align solutions with budget constraints and prioritise critical areas. Indicative pricing can be developed early, followed by detailed design and site surveys that integrate into the construction sequence. Installation occurs at appropriate stages, commissioning is completed with full documentation, and the finished system operates as intended from occupation.
“While we can come in after construction, early involvement reduces disruption and costs,” says Bolton.
There are also architectural and aesthetic considerations. As buildings incorporate higher-end finishes and more complex forms, retrofitting communications infrastructure introduces compromises that undermine design intent. Early integration avoids surface mounted solutions and visual disruption, delivering outcomes that are effectively invisible to occupants while remaining robust in performance.
Powertec’s role in this process draws on long-standing expertise in radio frequency (RF) communications, a discipline Bolton describes as a “highly nuanced field” that requires experience to perfect. The company’s solutions draw on Nextivity CEL-FI cellular repeaters, including the QUATRA variant, which supports Power over Ethernet, multi-carrier 4G–5G coverage and remote system management.
As the largest distributor of this technology in the Asia-Pacific region, Powertec has been involved in some of the earliest applications of these systems. The company operates with an entirely onshore team based on the Gold Coast, supported by satellite offices across Australia and operations in New Zealand.
“Our systems are carrier agnostic, meaning we are not aligned to one provider. Property ratings increasingly consider ubiquitous multi-carrier connectivity as a marker of building quality, potentially increasing building value,” says Bolton.
“Deployment speed is another point of difference. While traditional DAS systems can take six months or more to deliver, our solutions can typically be deployed within two months from start to finish. They also allow targeted coverage and can be delivered at a fraction of the cost of legacy systems.”
Beyond the technical case, Powertec is focused on positioning mobile coverage as essential infrastructure. For contractors and developers delivering car park and basement works, Bolton is clear that mobile connectivity must be addressed during delivery, not after the build is complete.
“Mobile connectivity in basements and car parks cannot be treated as an afterthought,” he says. “Addressed early, it integrates cleanly into design and construction, supports safety obligations and underpins the functionality of modern building systems. Deferred, it introduces risk, cost and compromise.”
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