Cellular networks have become indispensable for ensuring seamless connectivity, but in remote or densely populated areas, challenges still persist. In emergency response scenarios, weak cellular coverage is more than just an inconvenience—it can be life-threatening. Understanding the causes of weak cellular signals and addressing them effectively is crucial for ensuring robust connectivity in critical moments.

Common causes of weak cellular signal

Distance from cellular towers: The distance remote teams are from a cellular tower can drastically impact signal strength, leading to dropped calls and delayed communications. Remote locations or expansive rural areas often have limited cellular coverage, making it difficult for devices to maintain a strong connection.

Network congestion: During emergencies, particularly in densely populated areas or large gatherings, network congestion can be a significant issue. High demand on the network can result in slow and unusable data speeds, hindering emergency communication.

Optimised cellular performance

The Excell Cellular Optimisation Antenna provides a reliable solution to many common signal issues, enhancing connectivity when it is needed most. While the Excell Antenna cannot reduce network congestion, it can optimise the signal strength you receive, ensuring the best possible connection. This can be crucial in maintaining reliable communication during emergencies when network demand is high.

What sets Excell apart is the innovative antenna design, seamlessly integrating both directional and omni-directional elements. This hybrid configuration allows Excell to adapt dynamically to varying signal conditions, maximising coverage and throughput.

Excell’s directional antenna component focuses transmission directly towards the cellular mast leading to significantly improved signal strength, especially in areas with weak coverage. Complementing the directional antenna, Excell’s omni-directional element ensures broad coverage and seamless handover between different cellular towers enabling reliable connectivity in all directions, ideal for mobile units navigating harsh environments.

Solving real-world connectivity problems

Excell has proven successful in many extreme, high signal loss environments and has been installed on over 220 ambulances for Hamad Medical Corporation as well as various other emergency service vehicles including Incident Command Units (ICU), Fire Appliances and CCTV units world-wide.

Lulworth First Responders’ vehicle, equipped with a router and Excell antenna, seamlessly connects to the 5G network infrastructure in Dorset. Anthony Pack, community responder for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust commented “The equipment has significantly improved our connectivity in areas where we previously faced signal issues. Now, we can access and share the right information at the right time, which is crucial for our operations.”

Northamptonshire’s advanced fire appliances are equipped with the Excell antenna. Nick Gayton from Northamptonshire Fire and Rescue Service stated, “Our fire appliances use the same cellular optimisation technology as our Joint Command Unit (JCU). This ensures that teams on the ground stay connected throughout large-scale incidents. We can move around the incident scene while maintaining connectivity, enabling smoother information sharing.”

Police Scotland’s drone team utilise a portable Excell for enhancing their situational awareness. Excell ensures that the drone team have the connectivity they need to seamless live stream drone footage to any authorised device. With Excell, the drone team can enhance their operations, ensuring they stay connected and make informed decisions swiftly and effectively.

Stay connected

When every second counts, reliable connectivity can make all the difference. For more information about Excell, get in touch!