How iBUS Eliminated Mobile Dead Zones Across 40+ Departments at PMCH.

Patna Medical College & Hospital (PMCH), one of Asia's largest public hospitals, was losing mobile signal across wards, diagnostic zones, and basements; disrupting staff coordination and blocking OTP-based access to schemes like Ayushman Bharat and ABHA.

With no architectural drawings available and patient care unable to pause, iBUS Networks engineered a fibre-fed, multi-operator Neutral Host Distributed Antenna System (DAS) - shared indoor antennas that rebroadcast multiple carriers' signal throughout the building.

The result: 500+ antennas installed across 40+ departments ensuring consistent signal restored in every dead zone. The entire deployment completed without a single drill hole or disruption to hospital operations.

At a Glance

The Challenge

PMCH had to undergo a major infrastructure upgrade since persistent mobile connectivity gaps were identified across critical zones; including patient wards/diagnostic areas/basement levels. In a 100-year-old (yet active) hospital environment, these dead zones disrupted day-to-day operations - from routine staff coordination to OTP-based verification required for government healthcare schemes such as Ayushman Bharat and ABHA.

The deployment environment also carried significant constraints of its own:

• No structural documentation: no drawings or cable routes existed. The building had to be manually mapped before design work could begin.
• Deep indoor signal RF attenuation: basements, stairwells, and lower floors saw consistent signal loss.
• Weak incoming signal capture: limited rooftop space restricted equipment placement for pulling in outdoor carrier signal.
• Zero tolerance for disruption: continuous patient activity ruled out drilling or cutting through walls and floors.
• Blocked digital health workflows: poor connectivity disrupted OTP verification, digital payments, and mobile-first diagnostic and admin processes.

The Solution

iBUS Networks designed and deployed a hybrid, fibre-fed, multi-operator Neutral Host DAS for shared network infrastructure for simultaneous multi-operators use. The approach was built specifically for an active, structurally undocumented healthcare facility, combining RF survey-led planning, entirely non-invasive installation methods, and multi-band infrastructure ready for both LTE and 5G, to deliver consistent indoor coverage across 40+ hospital departments without pausing hospital operations at any point.

How It Was Built

• Manual signal mapping: With no architectural drawings available, the team conducted walkthroughs and shaft mapping across 40+ departments, using RF planning software (iBwave) to design the network around the building's actual layout.
• Antenna deployment: More than 500 indoor antennas were installed across OPDs, wards, diagnostics, stairwells, and corridors, fed by a hybrid fibre network with multi-band support.
• Non-invasive installation: Fibre and coax cabling were manually routed using surface-mounted routes, eliminating any need for drilling or core-cutting in sensitive hospital areas.
• Signal fine-tuning: Directional donor antennas and signal amplifiers (BBUs) were positioned to maintain clean, stable reception despite limited rooftop space.
• Testing and optimization: Walk tests using industry-standard tools (TEMS and Nemo) fine-tuned signal strength and antenna positioning, with all work scheduled during non-peak, silent hours to avoid disrupting patients and staff.
• Handover: The network was integrated with operator systems under the neutral host model, with real-time monitoring dashboards and hands-on training handed over to the facility team.

Results: Before and After

Technical Outcomes

• 500+ indoor antennas deployed across 40+ hospital departments, including OPDs, wards, diagnostics, stairwells, and corridors.
• Consistent signal strength achieved in every previously low-coverage zone, including basements and lower floors.
• Fully LTE-enabled and 5G-ready infrastructure, operating as a neutral host across four mobile bands.
• Entire deployment completed with zero drilling, core-cutting, or structural modification anywhere on site.
• Real-time signal monitoring dashboards handed over, with facility teams trained for ongoing, proactive network management.

Institutional Benefits

• Uninterrupted Patient Care: The entire deployment was completed without disrupting hospital services or requiring structural modifications, protecting continuity of care throughout a live, fully operational hospital.
• Staff Coordination: Clinical and administrative teams across the hospital reported improved mobile communication, supporting mobile-first workflows for diagnostics, labs, and administration.
• Cost Efficiency & Scalability: The neutral host model allows multiple operators to share one infrastructure footprint, reducing long-term maintenance complexity and cost compared to operator-by-operator deployments.
• Replicable Model: The project established a scalable, precision-led deployment approach that can be replicated across other high-density, structurally undocumented healthcare facilities.

Patient Access in Focus: Digital Healthcare Scheme Verification

OTP-based verification for government healthcare schemes like Ayushman Bharat and ABHA depends on a stable mobile connection to authenticate patients and process claims in real. Before this deployment, patchy indoor coverage across wards and diagnostic areas put this access at risk on a regular basis. With consistent signal now restored hospital-wide, patients and visitors can reliably complete OTP-based verification for these schemes alongside digital payments, making essential healthcare access a routine part of a patient's visit rather than something dependent on where in the building they happen to be standing.