ZoneDAS Two

The ZoneDAS Two Base Unit (BU) sits in a central comms room or MDF and acts as the controller and RF hub of the system. It:

• Accepts RF from multiple signal sources (e.g. BTS, small cells, ORAN), with support for up to four signal sources per band

• Digitises and combines the bands for onward transport over fibre

• Manages gain, auto-levelling and per-zone power settings

• Provides an Ethernet port for local and remote web-based management

From each Base Unit, fibre links run out to Remote Units either directly, or via Expander Units where more coverage points are required.

In practical terms: think of the Base Unit as the “Wi-Fi controller” of the DAS – it concentrates the carrier signals, powers the downstream nodes and gives you a single pane of glass for the whole ZoneDAS network.

Expander Units (sometimes referred to as extenders) are free-standing modules that sit between the Base Unit and Remote Units when you need:

• More RUs than a single Base Unit can support directly

• Longer reach to remote areas, higher floors

• Intermediate aggregation points in large or complex risers

Key roles of Expander Units:

• Fan-out: a single fibre port from the Base Unit can be turned into multiple additional RU ports via an Expander, significantly increasing the number of service points available from one BU.

• Distance extension: each Expander effectively adds another hop, extending the allowable fibre distance while maintaining signal quality.

• Flexible topology: expanders can be positioned to suit the building layout – for example, one per wing, per tower or per plant room – so cabling is kept logical and easy to maintain.

With the right combination of Base Unit and Expander Units, ZoneDAS Two can be scaled to dozens or even over a hundred RUs across a large building or campus.

Remote Units (RUs) are the “last metre” of the ZoneDAS Two system – compact, ceiling-mounted active antennas that convert the fibre or hybrid-fibre feed back into RF for nearby devices.

Each RU:

• Contains its own amplification and RF modules, so output power and bands can be configured per zone

• Supports 4G and 5G NR (including n78 2×2 MIMO) within the bands allocated by the Base Unit configuration

• Can be powered via local AC/DC or via hybrid fibre power-feeding, reducing the need for local power in every ceiling space

• Acts much like a Wi-Fi access point from a planning perspective – you simply place RUs where you need coverage and capacity, not where coaxial rules allow

Because each RU is an active device, the system can precisely control power and balance coverage between zones – which is particularly important for high-frequency 5G where path loss is higher than traditional 4G.