In-Building Wireless Systems: Why Coexistence Is the Winning Strategy

By Eric Toenjes, MBA, National Market Manager – Wireless Solutions, Graybar

Note: This blog was produced under WIA’s Innovation and Technology Council (ITC). The ITC is the forum for forecasting the future of the wireless industry. Participants explore developments in the wider wireless industry, from 5G network monetization trends and streamlining infrastructure deployment to future spectrum needs and cell site power issues. The group is publishing a series of thought-leadership pieces throughout 2025. These views are not a WIA endorsement of a particular company, product, policy or technology.

When enterprises consider in-building wireless, they often default to Wi-Fi. It’s been the backbone of business connectivity for years. But with the rise of private cellular networks, IoT devices, and the demand for reliable, controlled, and secure connectivity, the conversation has shifted.

An effective sales strategy must go beyond replacing the current system and instead focus on coexistence.

Many enterprises lack a comprehensive wireless strategy. They may have effective Wi-Fi on a corporate campus and in branch offices, but struggle in warehouses or manufacturing facilities. They may have cellular coverage gaps that impact operations in one facility but not another.

That’s why the wireless industry should start at the highest level in discussions with enterprises and venues.  Instead of forcing a single solution, you help the customer uncover blind spots across multiple facilities and use cases. Whether it’s a retail chain with storefronts and distribution centers, or a bank with headquarters and branches, every environment has different needs.  This framing opens the door to deeper discovery.

A classic mistake when selling in-building systems is unintentionally criticizing what the customer already has with statements like, “Wi-Fi can’t handle robotic forklifts” or “point-of-sale will fail under load.” These statements may be accurate but aren’t the best approach for building rapport.

A better approach is to ask open-ended questions, like “What are you not connecting wirelessly today that you’d like to?” or “Where do your employees and applications still struggle with mobility?” These questions help customers articulate their own pain points and open the door to positioning private networks or distributed antenna systems (DAS) as a solution without undermining their prior investments.

Take warehouses, for instance. These environments highlight the limitations of Wi-Fi coverage, including 40-foot ceilings where Wi-Fi access points are typically installed. By the time the Wi-Fi signal reaches floor level, it is degraded. To fix that, access points have been placed on rods hanging down from the ceiling to move them closer to the ground, but then picker trucks accessing items on high shelves may bump into them or knock them off the ceiling. On top of that, inventory is always shifting, which changes the RF propagation characteristics within the building. This creates constantly moving dead spots. Often, the solution to this problem is adding more access points, but that creates handoff issues. Some companies have laydown yards outside where they store equipment and materials that can withstand weather, but low power Wi-Fi service struggles to reach outdoors to support barcode scanning and other tasks.

Anchor Applications: The Doorway to Adoption

No enterprise buys an in-building system just because it’s “future-ready.” They need a clear, ROI-driven reason. That’s why private wireless deployments often start with an anchor application.

For example, a stadium may add a private network to handle point-of-sale transactions, or an airport might install private cellular to enable faster airplane turnarounds where Wi-Fi can’t cover the tarmac. A warehouse may be able to use private LTE to connect scanners, forklifts and truck bays with far fewer nodes than Wi-Fi access points, which can sometimes get in the way of operations.

Once that first use case is solved, the enterprise quickly discovers additional opportunities – adding cameras in remote yards, enabling IoT sensors, or layering in public safety coverage. The initial problem justifies the spend, but the long-term value multiplies.

The key message for the wireless infrastructure industry to share with customers is that it’s not an either/or conversation. Wi-Fi, private cellular, DAS, and commercial cellular all have their lanes. Wi-Fi remains strong in office environments and where guest access and low-cost connectivity matter; private cellular shines in high-mobility, mission-critical operations like warehouses, hospitals, airports, and stadiums; and commercial cellular ensures employees and customers can make calls, access data and reach 911 from anywhere.

When sellers frame the conversation around a wireless ecosystem, enterprises feel supported rather than pressured. Instead of competing technologies, it becomes a layered strategy where each solution does what it does best.

Selling in-building systems to enterprises isn’t about pushing the newest technology. It’s about guiding customers toward a holistic wireless strategy that identifies gaps across all facilities and environments, encourages self-discovery of limitations, starts with a clear anchor application to justify investment, and builds a future-ready ecosystem where multiple wireless tools coexist.

5G—or any future G—isn’t a silver bullet. The real opportunity lies in helping enterprises adopt the right mix of wireless solutions to meet their evolving needs.