Retirement Community Reports Sharp Improvement in Wi-Fi Coverage and 80 Percent Drop in IT Calls with Cambium Networks Solution

News provided by

Mar 07, 2023, 07:30 ET

Fairmount Homes continuing care retirement community delivers exceptional broadband connectivity to residents and staff with a one-person IT team.

ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., March 7, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- HealthSignals, a leading solutions provider specializing in Senior Living technology infrastructure, today announced that the Fairmount Homes continuing care retirement community has registered significant improvement in Wi-Fi user experience across its Ephrata, PA campus since deploying Cambium Networks' (NASDAQ: CMBM) technology. The COVID pandemic changed visiting and socializing practices, and like many retirement communities, Fairmount Homes needed to maximize Wi-Fi availability to residents and staff to optimize care and interaction. The converged fixed wireless and Wi-Fi solution, which was completed by HealthSignals covers their entire campus populated by approximately 400 residents and a staff of 320 people. The wireless technology has a shorter time to value over fiber and enables digital transformation initiatives in the future.

The Fairmount Homes campus comprises two four-story apartment buildings, 53 standalone cottages, a personal care center and a healthcare center. Since the deployment, network performance has improved sharply. The campus has a daily average of 448 unique devices using the network at an average rate of 400 terabytes per month, with the trend showing an increase of bits of 69% over the last 12 months. To connect buildings, Fairmount Homes chose fixed wireless technology over GPON or FTTP because the cost and time to trench fiber across the entire campus was prohibitive. In addition, by easily managing the converged network via one dashboard, HealthSignals has enabled Fairmount Homes to utilize a single IT staff person to support their campus wide network.

Since the installation, trouble reports have decreased from multiple calls per week to less than two calls per month – a whopping 80% drop. The wireless network also securely supports pharmacy carts and Electronic Medical Records (EMR) access, allowing staff to stay connected to the core network, dramatically increasing productivity and efficiency.

"Five years ago, most of the residents moving in didn't care about Wi-Fi," said Fairmount Homes' CEO Jerry Lile. "But after the pandemic, Wi-Fi connectivity is one of the most frequently asked questions during the application process. This is something that retirees are demanding when they look for a place to live, and it is particularly important not only for the residents, but also for their guests and their families. When the pandemic set in, thankfully we had Wi-Fi everywhere because telehealth became very important at that time, and we would not have been able to meet that need if we hadn't had good Wi-Fi."

The solution includes multiple components of Cambium's ONE Network:

PMP 450i fixed wireless to distribute broadband between buildings across the campus
indoor Wi-Fi 6 access points for coverage inside apartments and cottages
cnMaestro™ cloud-first network management
LINKPlanner and Wi-Fi Designer tools were used to plan the network

Cambium Networks' deployment addresses the needs of the multi-dwelling unit (MDU) market, where properties such as Fairmount Homes seek to deliver exceptional online experiences for their residents, while also reducing operating costs.

"Cambium Networks equipment is enterprise-grade quality, and the engineering and support provided has been exemplary," said Bruce Weintraub, the CEO and founder of HealthSignals. "With HealthSignals' managed service, Fairmount's IT person can focus on maintaining the applications, while Wi-Fi and internet issues are directed to us and resolved appropriately."

With the Cambium cnMaestro Dashboard, managed service providers can view hundreds of clients' networks including their indoor Wi-Fi access points, access switches, outdoor Wi-Fi, building to-building wireless bridges and wireless backhaul, all through one single dashboard.

For more information on the Fairmount Homes connectivity solution, download the case study here.

About HealthSignals

HealthSignals' sole focus is Senior Living and LTPAC communities, providing complete White Glove service for Wi-Fi, Cellular Boost, and VoIP solutions across entire facilities. Our services include the Design, Implementation and Management of these technology solutions.

About Cambium Networks

Cambium Networks delivers wireless communications that work for businesses, communities, and cities worldwide. Millions of our radios are deployed to connect people, places and things with a unified wireless fabric that spans multiple standards and frequencies of fixed wireless and Wi-Fi, all managed centrally via the cloud. Our multi-gigabit wireless fabric offers a compelling value proposition over traditional fiber and alternative wireless solutions. We work with our Cambium certified ConnectedPartners to deliver purpose-built networks for service provider, enterprise, industrial, and government connectivity solutions in urban, suburban, and rural environments, with wireless that just works.

Media Contact:

Dave Reddy
Big Valley Marketing for Cambium
+1 (650) 868-4659
[email protected]

SOURCE Cambium Networks