How multi-network support works
IBC uses a shared cabling and distribution system. Fibre or ethernet runs from the comms room to Coverage Nodes on each floor, and those Coverage Nodes transmit the networks that have been configured on the Access Unit. Adding support for another mobile operator or technology means adding a small amount of additional hardware in the comms room and potentially an extra rooftop antenna depending on the towers in your area. The cabling, the Coverage Nodes, and the infrastructure throughout the building stays the same.
This is the key point: you're not building separate systems for each network. You're building one distribution system and connecting the networks you need. Adding a second or third network later is a fraction of the cost of the initial deployment because the infrastructure is already in place.
4G, 5G, and frequency bands
Modern IBC supports both 4G and 5G. Each mobile generation uses different frequency bands, and within each generation, operators use multiple bands to balance coverage and capacity.
Implementing more bands improves both performance and reliability. More bands means the network can serve more users simultaneously, and devices can fall back to a less congested band when one is busy. Low bands like 700 MHz travel further through the building and penetrate more walls. Higher (wider) bands like 2600 MHz and 3500 MHz (5G) carry more data but cover less distance.
The design process looks at the building's occupancy, foot traffic, and performance expectations to determine which bands to implement. A small office with 20 staff has very different needs from a busy medical centre with hundreds of daily visitors. Not every building needs every band, and part of the design process is matching the right configuration to the building.
How many networks should you implement?
Single network
The most affordable starting point. Even a single network operator's coverage provides 000 emergency calling to all phones in the building regardless of which network they're on, because emergency calls in Australia can use any available network. This makes it a practical option for buildings where the primary goal is safety compliance and basic connectivity for a workforce that are issued phones on one network.
Two or three networks
This covers the practical reality of a busy building. Your staff might all be on Telstra, but visitors, contractors, and delivery personnel are on Optus and TPG. Adding a second or third operator means everyone who enters the building has reliable coverage on their own network. The incremental cost is modest because the distribution infrastructure is already in place: same cabling, same Coverage Nodes, just additional equipment in the comms room.
Even if budget is a consideration, adding extra bands for a single operator is a cost-effective way to improve speeds and reliability for your existing users before expanding to additional network operators.
Private networks
A dedicated network for your building's operations, separate from the public network operators. Staff devices, sensors, utility robots, building management systems. Private 5G runs on its own spectrum and doesn't share capacity with the public network, so performance is consistent regardless of how busy the public networks are. It can be added alongside public MNO coverage with both managed through Axidra Cloud.
Our guide to in-building coverage explains how IBC systems work in more detail, and our planning and deployment guide walks through the process from first enquiry to ongoing management.