NetSteady

Most modern office buildings are accidentally blocking their own cell service.

The culprit? Low-E glass.

Low-emissivity (Low-E) glass is fantastic for energy efficiency. It reflects infrared heat, lowers utility costs, and helps buildings meet modern efficiency standards.

But here’s what most developers and business owners don’t realize:

The same metallic coating that reflects heat also reflects and attenuates RF signals.

That includes:
• 4G LTE
• 5G
• First responder bands
• Standard voice calls

So you end up with a beautiful, energy-efficient building… where no one can get a signal near the windows.

In older buildings, signals would pe*****te fairly easily. In newer construction with Low-E glass and energy-efficient materials, signal loss can be dramatic — sometimes 20–40 dB or more depending on coating type and frequency.

What does that mean in real terms?

• Dropped calls
• Missed texts
• Poor data speeds
• Employees walking outside to take meetings
• Tenants complaining
• First responder communication issues

And here’s the hard truth: carriers aren’t going to fix this for you. From their perspective, coverage is fine — outside.

This is becoming one of the most common causes of indoor cellular issues in modern offices, healthcare facilities, schools, and commercial buildings.

If you’re designing, renovating, or managing a newer building and noticing signal problems, Low-E glass might be part of the equation.

Energy efficiency is great. But communication reliability is non-negotiable.

If you want to test your building’s signal performance or understand mitigation options (DAS, signal boosters, distributed antenna systems), happy to talk.

After eleven incredible years serving the Ohio Expo Center and State Fair, NetSteady will be concluding its work at the venue this winter. We’re proud of what we built together and look forward to helping other events and facilities in the future.