In-Building Cellular Coverage: A BOMA Deep Dive

Read the complete BOMA Q3 2025 Deep Dive: “Solving the In-Building Cellular Coverage Challenge”

Gannon O’Brien, Hiffman National Director of Management Services, joined industry experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities related to cellular coverage in large commercial properties for BOMA International’s Q3 Deep Dive. The report relates the changing requirements of cellular coverage, explaining how the service – once thought of an amenity – has become “as essential as electricity and water”.

“Post-Covid workplace changes—remote work, virtual meetings, and desk-sharing—have eliminated many dedicated desk phones,” O’Brien says. “This makes tenants entirely dependent on cellular connectivity, moving it from a nice-to-have feature to the top of their wish list.”

Buildings often present a unique challenge for cellular signals, the report states, because of construction materials, architectural design and other environmental factors. The report examines the operational consequences of unreliable coverage. It states:

For example, a 2024 Airtower article reports that 51% of workers experience interruptions during their workday due to poor cellular connectivity, with 30% attributing lost deals or clients directly to connectivity issues. From O’Brien’s perspective, these aren’t just inconveniences, they are business-critical issues that affect daily operations:

“While the importance of existing cellular coverage will vary based on a tenant’s business operations, I’ve seen firsthand the importance many tenants place on there being reliable coverage and have even seen it written into a new lease requiring the landlord to integrate a tenant’s preferred cellular service provider into the building’s DAS prior to lease commencement.” 

O’Brien describes the operational benefits that emerge when coverage challenges are successfully addressed:

“Aside from the inherent benefits of having at least one cellular provider available in a building’s distributed antennae system from a leasing and tenant satisfaction standpoint, property managers and their teams – specifically engineering, security and janitorial team members – benefit from increased connectivity, which not only makes for a more cohesive and communicative environment but also improves tenant work order completion and emergency response times.”

Read the full report for more details.

About NAI Hiffman:

NAI Hiffman is one of the largest independent commercial real estate services firms in the US, with a primary focus on metropolitan Chicago, and part of the NAI Global network. We provide institutional and private leasing, property management, tenant representation, capital markets, project services, research, and marketing services for owners and occupiers of commercial real estate. To meet our clients’ growing needs outside of our exclusive NAI Hiffman territory, we launched Hiffman National, our dedicated property solutions division, which provides property management, project services, and property accounting services across the country. NAI Hiffman | Hiffman National is an award winning company headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 275 employees strategically located throughout North America.

About Hiffman National:

Hiffman National is one of the US’s largest independent commercial real estate property management firms, providing institutional and private clients exceptional customized solutions for property management, project management, property accounting, lease administration, marketing, and research. The firm’s comprehensive property management platform and attentive approach to service contribute to successful life-long relationships and client satisfaction. As a nationally bestowed Top Workplace, and recognized CRE award winner, Hiffman National is headquartered in suburban Chicago, with more than 275 employees nationally and an additional six hub locations and 25 satellite offices across North America.