--- title: "Cold Storage" path: "/solutions/warehousing-cold-storage/cold-storage" type: "term:solution_scenarios" updated: 2026-01-29 description: "Cold storage facilities combine every RF challenge into one environment. Metal-clad insulated panels line the walls and ceilings. Frozen inventory absorbs radio signals. Temperatures drop to -25°C or colder. Standard wireless equipment fails, standard installation practices…" --- # Cold Storage Cold storage facilities combine every RF challenge into one environment. Metal-clad insulated panels line the walls and ceilings. Frozen inventory absorbs radio signals. Temperatures drop to -25°C or colder. Standard wireless equipment fails, standard installation practices compromise the cold chain, and standard assumptions about coverage don't apply. Yet reliable connectivity is essential. Inventory tracking systems need constant communication with handheld scanners and forklift terminals. Temperature monitoring sensors must report continuously. Workers in freezer environments need voice communication and access to emergency services. The more challenging the environment, the more critical the connectivity. ## RF Challenges in Cold Storage ### Insulated Panels Cold rooms are constructed with insulated panels, typically PIR (polyisocyanurate) or PUR (polyurethane) foam sandwiched between metal facings. The metal skins that make these panels effective thermal barriers also totally block RF signals. Coverage from outside the cold room simply doesn't penetrate. Inside the cold room, however, those same metal surfaces create a highly reflective environment. Signals bounce between walls, ceiling, and floor rather than escaping. This characteristic can work in your favour if the coverage system is designed for it. A few well-placed Coverage Nodes can fill the space efficiently, using reflections to reach areas that would require many more devices in a conventional storage facility. ### Frozen Inventory Water absorbs RF energy. Frozen food is essentially blocks of ice - and a fully stocked cold store contains tonnes of it. This creates significant RF absorption that varies with inventory levels. Coverage that performs well in an empty or lightly stocked facility can degrade substantially when inventory builds up. The effect is frequency-dependent: higher frequencies like WiFi's 5 GHz band are absorbed more readily than lower frequencies. System design must account for worst-case stocking levels, not the convenient conditions present during commissioning. ### Temperature Zones Modern cold storage facilities typically include multiple temperature zones. A single building might contain ambient areas (+15°C), chilled storage (+2°C), frozen storage (-18°C), and deep freeze (-25°C or colder). Each zone has different construction, different equipment, and different coverage requirements. Transitions between zones create additional challenges. When equipment or cabling passes from cold to warm areas, condensation forms. Moisture in connectors and enclosures leads to corrosion and failure. Copper cables are great for conducting signal, but also conducts heat. Systems must be professionally designed to manage these thermal boundaries. ## Hardware for Extreme Cold Standard networking equipment is rated for operating temperatures of 0°C to +40°C. Place it in a -25°C freezer and it will fail - sometimes immediately, sometimes after weeks of thermal stress. Cold storage requires hardware specifically rated for the environment. Coverage Nodes, antennas, cabling, and connectors must all handle temperatures of -40°C or below. This isn't optional specification. Equipment that works intermittently is worse than equipment that fails outright - it creates problems that are difficult to diagnose and impossible to predict. We draw on our industry experience to specify hardware appropriate for the actual operating temperature of each zone. We don't install equipment and hope it survives. ## Installation Considerations Cold room integrity is critical. The insulated envelope maintains temperature, controls energy costs, and protects food safety. Every penetration through that envelope - every cable, conduit, and mounting bracket - is a potential thermal bridge and moisture ingress point. Inexperienced installers can compromise cold room performance in ways that aren't immediately apparent. A poorly sealed cable penetration creates an ice buildup that grows over months. A thermal bridge causes localised warming that affects product quality. These problems are expensive to identify and expensive to fix. Axidra works with installation partners experienced in cold chain environments. They understand how to maintain envelope integrity, seal penetrations properly, and schedule work around operational windows. You can't keep freezer doors open while running cables - installation must work within the facility's constraints. ## Our Approach Designing coverage for cold storage requires understanding how signals behave in these specific conditions. Axidra's material-aware raytracing models the insulated panel construction, predicting how signals reflect within the space and where absorption from inventory will have the greatest impact. We simulate coverage at different stocking levels, ensuring the system performs under realistic conditions rather than just the empty building present during site surveys. The design accounts for metal reflections, frozen inventory absorption, and the specific geometry of your racking layout. Hardware is specified for the actual operating temperature of each zone. Installation is performed by partners who understand cold chain requirements. After commissioning, walk-testing in operating conditions verifies that performance matches design predictions. ## Related - [Warehousing & Cold Storage](https://axidra.com.au/solutions/warehousing-cold-storage.md): Warehouses and cold storage facilities present some of the harshest RF environments in the built world. High-density pallet racking, insulated wall panelling, and Antarctic temperatures create zones where off-the-shelf systems fail – when your operations can’t. Axidra designs…