Ecmweb 6922 Bicsi Fall 2014 Pr
Ecmweb 6922 Bicsi Fall 2014 Pr
Ecmweb 6922 Bicsi Fall 2014 Pr
Ecmweb 6922 Bicsi Fall 2014 Pr
Ecmweb 6922 Bicsi Fall 2014 Pr

BICSI Field Report: Fall 2014 Conference

Dec. 18, 2014
Conference shows attendees how to take the network to the next level

Held September 28 through October 2 at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif., the BICSI 2014 Fall Conference & Exhibition welcomed IT industry professionals from around the world. During both the educational sessions and on the exhibit floor, attendees discussed the emergence of wireless mobile devices as an important factor in network upgrades and build-outs.

Attendees had the opportunity to take in more than 30 technical sessions, including ones on security and the data center, integrated building technology, a government relations update, and ICT industry standards.

Opening the conference program on Tuesday morning, BICSI president Michael Collins placed emphasis on the event’s three days of educational sessions and exhibits. Collins also introduced the BICSI Learning Academy, which allows students to choose where and how they receive training — whether in the classroom, online, or a blend of the two. The Academy offers training for voice, data, and video distribution design and installation, as well as project management, including introductory-, intermediate-, and advanced-level instruction. Cabling installers, for example, are expanding their skills to include the newest technologies, which can include troubleshooting techniques and certification.

Industry movement

With the increased bandwidth demand for phone, e-mail, text, and video content on mobile devices, the use of small cells is an important factor in satisfying this need. Building owners realize they need adequate wireless broadband coverage and capacity inside their buildings, because, according to estimates, more than 60% of voice calls and 70% of data usage take place within structures. The HetNet Forum, a membership group within PCIA — The Wireless Infrastructure Association, defines small cells as a group of technologies that includes distributed antenna systems (DAS), microcells, metrocells, picocells, femtocells, and Wi-Fi access points. These small cells, along with macrocellular tower and rooftop antennas, make up the heterogeneous network (HetNet).

Wireless operators are deploying a variety of small cells — indoors and outdoors — to bring the network closer to the end-user and to relieve the traffic carried by the large (macro) cellular network. DAS, in particular, is a viable solution for both areas because the system is scalable and flexible.

Specifically, active DAS is the fastest growing segment of the market today, as large public and commercial structures turn to highly scalable, flexible, high-capacity solutions. DAS is a network of spatially separated antenna nodes connected to a common transport medium — typically coaxial or optical fiber cable — to provide wireless service over a variety of frequency bands in a small form factor for an area, building, or other structure.

The DAS installation can be either a proprietary system (designed and installed by a carrier for their own subscribers) or a vendor-neutral system (neutral host) that serves all carriers, which is a common strategy for large conference centers and stadiums. Similar to Wi-Fi technology, the system must take into account signal propagation on each floor, the building structure, and the fact that energy-efficient window glass, using low-emissivity glass coatings, can block or impede incoming signals from a cell tower.

Wireless operators are increasingly requiring training and certification to ensure quality of service (QoS) over DAS networks, and BICSI is actively developing standards and guidelines to help define current practices and drive improvement in quality and system performance. With public safety rapidly becoming a requirement, an important concern is certifying that buildings comply with FirstNet public safety rules.

While DAS loomed large in discussions, other activities are moving along also. For example, with upcoming changes to NFPA’s National Fire Alarm Code and Signaling Code, revision work is starting to support IP fire alarm systems, as well as address changes in the application and use of other electronic safety and security systems.

Conference highlights

In “Security and the Data Center – 4 Trends That Could Change Everything,” Jerry Bowman, Square Mile Systems, Bethel, Ohio, stressed the need to protect data for a variety of reasons: terrorism, global political unrest, power grid instability, hacking breaches, and regulatory compliance. In addition, cloud computing is redefining the concept of network perimeters, and the exponential growth in data storage is no longer an excuse for not documenting and managing the assets within the data center. Both physical security and network security parameters are growing.

Bowman also addressed the business outcomes for cyber security — the “CIA” Triad — which include confidentiality, integrity, and security as well as the risks, threats, and countermeasures needed to protect today’s data center.

In “Integrated Building Technology: The Role of AV and IT Professionals,” Kenneth Graven, Charles M. Salter Associates, Santa Clara, Calif., noted that IT network convergence, green technology, and integrated project delivery (IPD) are changing the way buildings are designed, inhabited, and used. As a result, the concept of smart building technologies (SBTs) is emerging, which is an important business opportunity for IT and AV professionals, because a building’s communications infrastructure should be as important as the electrical, HVAC, water, and other building services/systems. In fact, lighting, HVAC, and building automation companies are blending their products together into integrated systems to dramatically slash energy consumption.

Some of the concepts of SBT include using a single structured cabling system for all or most of the building systems, and having building automation systems (BAS) and building management systems (BMS) use open protocols, such as BACnet, Modbus, and Lonworks, running on an IP network. Another concept is application integration, which allows a facility manager to survey the building’s total performance on a single dashboard. Graven discussed the coordination process while referencing Division 27 of the 2004 CSI MasterFormat Specification.

In “Revolution and Evolution: Densifying the Network Through DAS and Small Cells,” Mike Collado, SOLiD, Sunnyvale, Calif., led a panel that examined the business and technical use case for using DAS and small cells from the building owner’s perspective. The panelists were: Christy Miller, BCL Enterprises, West Chester, Ohio; Bob Elliot, Panduit, Tinley Park, Ill.; Joe Mullin, InSite Wireless, Alexandria, Va.; and Ken Sandfeld, also from SOLiD.

One panelist stated that the best model is a “neutral host” arrangement, which allows multiple wireless service providers to use the network at the same time, thus reducing installation costs, and which is now the most prevalent way of setting up a DAS system. A neutral host DAS is also a solution for public-safety communications, which should:

1) Enable interoperable communications among agencies.

2) Provide e911 location.

3) Enable the general public to communicate with emergency personnel.

4) Enable emergency personnel to notify and communicate with the general public.

In addition to DAS and small cells, Wi-Fi also fits into the picture. For buildings under 100,000 sq ft, small cells can be ideal; for venues larger than 500,000 sq ft, DAS can handle the capacity and coverage needs. For example, in a hotel/conference center, small cells might serve the lobby, conference areas, and open areas and DAS could be installed in individual rooms. At the same time, Wi-Fi can be installed throughout the facility. In the United States alone, the combined number of DAS and small-cell installations is predicted to soar more than tenfold from 116,000 this year to 1.5 million in 2020.

In “What BICSI, TIA and ISO/IEC Are Doing with Standards and Why You Should Care,” Jonathan Jew, J&M Consultants, Inc., San Francisco, offered an overview of activities from these three standards-making bodies. The presentations described the latest publications and the standards in development, while explaining why the attendees should care.

For example, the intent of TIA 942A is to harmonize data center cabling and terminology with international standards. It is also aimed at enforcing minimum standard specs, such as the use of Cat. 6 twisted-pair cabling and the use of LC and MPO connectors. BICSI 002-2010 best practices document exceeds the minimum requirements, and offers content and specs in areas not covered by the TIA standards. Additionally, the BISCI document covers architectural details and security, along with electrical and mechanical systems.

In “The 11 Steps to DAS,” Ryan Foucault, DAS Simplified, Seattle, offered some basic guidelines for setting up a successful project from site survey to final system acceptance, as well as explaining how low-voltage designers, engineers and installers can actively participate and add value to the project.  

About the Author

Joseph R. Knisley | Lighting Consultant

Joe earned a BA degree from Queens College and trained as an electronics technician in the U.S. Navy. He is a member of the IEEE Communications Society, Building Industry Consulting Service International (BICSI), and IESNA. Joe worked on the editorial staff of Electrical Wholesaling magazine before joining EC&M in 1969. He received the Jesse H. Neal Award for Editorial Excellence in 1966 and 1968. He currently serves as the group's resident expert on the topics of voice/video/data communications technology and lighting.

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