What factors affect the cost of a DAS installation?

The most significant cost driver in any DAS installation is building size and the resulting cable infrastructure required to reach every coverage zone. A single-storey warehouse requires far less cable and fewer antenna nodes than a 20-storey office tower, and the cost scales accordingly. Buildings with reinforced concrete or steel construction require more signal amplification and denser antenna placement because these materials attenuate radio frequencies more aggressively than glass or lightweight partitioning.

The number of mobile network operators the system needs to support directly impacts headend equipment costs. Supporting a single operator on two frequency bands is significantly cheaper than building a shared neutral-host DAS that carries four operators across five bands from 700 MHz through to 2600 MHz. In South Africa, many commercial landlords opt for a neutral-host model to attract tenants who require guaranteed coverage from multiple carriers, but this requires more sophisticated combining equipment at the headend.

Installation labour costs depend on the complexity of cable routing through fire-rated areas, the availability of ceiling access, and the need to coordinate with other building trades. Projects in occupied buildings require night or weekend work to minimise disruption, which increases labour rates. Additional costs to budget for include ICASA type-approval documentation for any active equipment, operator testing and sign-off fees, and the civil works required to mount antennas in architectural ceiling finishes. An accurate quote requires a physical site walk and RF propagation modelling, both of which CT Communications includes as part of the pre-installation assessment.