The Great Indoor Disconnect: Bridging the Gap Between Mobility, AI Innovation and Buildings 

By Shane McClelland, VP Strategy and Business Development, Head of Emerging RAN Solutions, Ericsson 

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 2026. These views are not a WIA endorsement of a particular company, product, policy or technology. 

You’ve been there – on a critical work call that suddenly drops. Waiting for a rideshare that won’t load. Trying to reassure a loved one with a simple text that never goes through. Standing by a window, arm outstretched, desperately hunting for a signal. Today we are all riding the convergence of three unstoppable trends that have moved in-building cellular from a luxury to a baseline requirement for economic survival. Let’s break these trends down, as understanding and leveraging them can represent the single greatest opportunity for growth since the heyday of roof-top real estate. 

Figure 1 – Our Convergent Reality 

Trend 1—The “Always-On” Human Expectation: Connectivity as a Lifeline 

Your phone isn’t just a device – it’s your lifeline. It’s how you: 

• Call for help in an emergency 
• Navigate unfamiliar cities 
• Join critical business meetings 
• Stay connected to family and friends 
• Stream, game, shop, learn, and live … 

We’re all inextricably linked to our mobile devices. Recent data shows the average person checks their phone on average 205 times a day. And mobile data traffic continues to grow at a compound annual rate of nearly 12% in North America. Today’s pace of life makes being connected an absolute must. Beyond convenience, cellular connectivity is now the fundamental tether to emergency services. Approximately 80% of 911 calls are placed from mobile devices and the vast majority of those originate indoors,  

When a user hits a “dead zone,” the cost can be immediate. Whether it’s a traveler unable to pull up a boarding pass or a parent unable to reach a child in an emergency, “no bars” is no longer just an inconvenience — it is a perceived, and sometimes literal, threat to the way we live our lives. 

Trend 2—The AI Invasion: From Devices to Drywall 

AI is no longer confined to massive data centers; it is moving to the “edge,” more specifically, into the devices in our pockets and the sensors in our appliances, equipment, walls and ceilings. 

Devices like the latest iPhones and Androids are now embedded with dedicated AI functionality. What started out as “smart apps” are rapidly evolving into trusted, context-aware assistants. To perform well, this requires reliable indoor connectivity, low latency, secure identity and more advanced features like positioning and sensing. 

And it’s not just happening on mobile phones. The “Smart Building” market is expected to reach $175 billion in 2026. This involves thousands of AI-enabled IoT sensors monitoring everything from air quality to occupancy to physical security systems indoors. 

The AI applications intrinsic to these devices are data-hungry and latency-sensitive. Traditional in-building wireless systems that share unlicensed spectrum often lack the “deterministic” reliability required for AI to function without lag. Capacity can crumble under high traffic — like events, peak work hours, or emergencies. Security risks are higher, especially in shared or public environments. 

High-value AI is driven by multimodal fusion beyond the phone.  The most powerful AI experiences combine phone, IoT device, network signals and external content.  Indoor cellular is the data fabric that ties all this together for us. 

Trend 3—The Physical Barrier: Why “Outdoor-In” No Longer Works 

The final trend is happening with our buildings: the very materials we use to save the planet are killing our connectivity. 

For example, modern LEED-certified buildings use Low-E (low-emissivity) glass and dense insulation to regulate temperature. While great for the environment, these materials can attenuate cellular signals by as much as 30 dB to 40 dB, effectively turning a modern office into a Faraday cage.

In urban jungles, 5G mid-band and high-band signals (the “speed” layers) have a limited range. Expecting ground-level and even roof-top macro sites to provide consistent gigabit speeds to all floors of a concrete-and-glass tower is a physical impossibility. 

The Convergent Reality 

When you combine mobile-dependent people, AI-integrated sensors, and impenetrable building materials, you reach a singular conclusion: The network must thrive inside. 

A building without a reliable, secure, high performance in-building cellular network is a building that is functionally obsolete for the AI era. It cannot support the robots that will clean its floors, the sensors that will manage its energy, or the tenants who pay the rent. 

Let’s bring the Outside Signal In! 

Whether you’re a building owner, facilities manager, IT leader, or venue operator, the stakes are high. Connectivity shouldn’t stop at your front door. To the building owners, developers, and wireless infrastructure providers: the window to lead is now. 

• For building owners: Stop viewing cellular as an expense and start viewing it as value. Data shows that connected buildings command higher lease rates and higher tenant retention. Audit your portfolio today for “silent dead zones” before they become “vacant suites.” 

• For wireless infrastructure providers: Bridge the gap between the carriers and the real estate world. Build the AI-ready indoor cellular networks we rely on. 

• Engage the Forum: The WIA In-Building Forum is a great way to collaborate on the business and financing models that will define the next decade of indoor connectivity. 

The convergence of mobility, AI, and architecture is here. Let’s work together to build the infrastructure where connectivity drives productivity, safety, and peace of mind. 

Learn more here: 

Verizon uses Ericsson’s Radio Dot for its neutral host 

The Ericsson Tech Behind Boston’s Smartest Building 

Neutral host networks – Ericsson 

Flexible Indoor Connectivity Solutions for Neutral Hosts (ericsson.net)