What is the difference between IBC and DAS?

IBC is a generic term that stands for In-Building Coverage or In-Building Cell. IBC refers to the whole in-building coverage ecosystem and can include things such as the carrier base station and any other active elements. Whereas DAS stands for Distributed Antenna System and is a specific part of an IBC system. DAS only refers to the antenna system that distributes the carriers signal within the building.

What is Passive DAS?

Passive DAS systems means that the DAS itself is not driven by any active elements. It means that the DAS is not powered by any other element other than the base station which the carrier provides and plugs into the DAS. Passive refers to the fact that all elements in the system are passive as the system does not have its own power source nor generate its own power. This is the most common type of DAS system in Australia.

What is an Active DAS?

Active DAS Systems are also common in Australia. Active DAS means that there is an extra set of equipment which acts as a power booster. Active DAS systems are typically used for much larger buildings and sites. As a building gets larger, the signal strength can become weaker, therefore using an active component will give the DAS signal a boost.  A DAS system with active equipment and elements is referred to as an active DAS.

What is DBS/Hybrid DAS?

A hybrid DAS is a combination of active and passive DAS systems. Part of the DAS may be powered directly by the carriers base station, and that will be the passive part of the DAS, and there may be other sections of the DAS which are located quite far from the carrier base station and therefore, that equipment requires a power boost, by using an active element or component. Using a combination of passive and active equipment and components, is referred to as a Hybrid DAS.

DBS stands for ‘Distributed Base Station’. This means that base stations can be distributed around the building using remote heads which are fibre fed equipment. A DBS solution is essentially a passive DAS system except carrier base stations are distributed around the building rather than congregating in one particular room.