DECT™

Wireless Technologyand DECT Density

Introduction
to DECT

DECT technology has become a popular standard for wire­less voicecommuni­cation. DECT devices are not likely to be affected by otherelectronic devices and signals because they operate in a separate
frequency band.
In an office environment, DECT devices can be used along­side Bluetooth®
devices and WiFi due to the different frequency. Furthermore, DECT technology provides the user with good voice quality and superior mobility.
DECT phones and headsets can be used with traditional PBX telephonesystems and VoIP systems to achieve a clear voice quality and ease ofuse for employees.
Various factors influence the range and density of the devices, including
the number of simultaneous users, the layout and design of the building,the type of technology in use and the number of devices using the sametechnology.

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Facts about
1
DECT technology
Digital Enhanced Cordless Telecommu-nications (DECT™)
is the ETSI (European Telecommunications Standards
Institute) standard for short-range cordlesscom­munications, which can be adapted for many
applications, including voice, data and networking
applications and can be used over unlicensed frequency
allocations worldwide.
The most common spectrum allocation is 1880 MHz to1900 MHz, which is used in Europe. This spectrum is
unlicensed and exclusively for technology, which ensuresan interference-free operation.
In the United States, the FCC (Federal CommunicationsCommission) changed channelization and licensing costs
in 1920 MHz–1930 MHz, or 1.9 GHz, known as Unlicensed
Personal Communications Services (UPCS), allowing
DECT devices to be sold in the U.S. with only minimalchanges2.

1. Please refer to www.etsi.org and www.dect.org for more information.
2. The US DECT standard is also known as DECT 6.0 (created by DECT Forum).

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Advantages ofDECT solutions
Mobility, comfort and communication are
major advantages of DECT solutions that leadto improved staff efficiency and productivity.
The ability to answer calls when away from adesk as well as being able to use both handsfor other tasks can boost job satisfaction andhelp to create a pleasant working environment.
Additionally, a DECT solution does not interferewith 2.4 GHz WiFi, whereas a Bluetooth®
solution does. This means that it is possible
to have more users in the same area whena DECT solution is used.
Density – communica­tion
without interference
Density is a keyword when you are planningthe deployment and use of wireless communi­­
cation technology. It refers to the number of
DECT devices in use in a specific area.
DECT devices share the number of channels
available on the radio spectrum when they
are within close range of each other, which
therefore puts a limit on the number of
DECT devices that can be in use at once.
When this limit is exceeded, it can resultin break-ups in the audio quality or delays
when creating a link to the DECT headset.

Many factors influence the transmission
power or the number of channels on theradio spectrum that a product is using. One
factor, for example, is roaming range. The
further away from its respective base aheadset is being used, the more transmission
power it takes, leaving less radio spectrum
remaining for other devices. Therefore, asroaming range increases. Density doesn’tdecrease, it increases as well. The moretransmission power is used, the more dense
the environment.
Considerations – quantity of DECT units
There is a fixed number of channels available
for DECT devices. The number of channels
is not equivalent to the number of units you
can deploy in your business. Various factors
influence whether you can deploy more orfewer DECT devices. The most importantfactors are:
- DECT standard (frequency band)- Office working styles- Simultaneous users- Office layout and location- Products deployedIMPACT DECT
wireless headsets– D 10 Series, SD/DW Series,
SDW 5000 Series

Experience the quality of freedom
EPOS wireless DECT headsets –from thecall-centric IMPACT product line– are theultimate communication tools. With a focus
on wearing comfort and user well-being,
the D 10, SD/DW and SDW 5000 Series
are specifically designed to meet the needsof all-day users – where the benefits ofswitching from wired to wireless solutions aresignificant.

Office working styles
EPOS DECT headsets are ‘intelligent’
because they adapt to your surroundings
by utilizing different channels and increasing
the transmission power the further away
they are from their base units. Different
office working styles have an effect on thedensity of DECT devices. The more thatworkers stay at their desks, the more devices
can be used simultaneously.

The wireless range for EPOS DECT headsets
is up to 55 meters/180 feet in typical officebuildings and up to 180 meters/590 feet inline of sight. Users can choose from a wide
range of variants based on their preference
for wearing style and communication
devices. The performance of wirelesscommunication systems is affected byworking styles, office layout and the typeof products deployed. EPOS wireless DECT
solutions successfully address all theseconcerns, making them an excellent choicefor efficient communication that boosts
company productivity.

Simultaneous users
There is a huge difference from company tocompany when it comes to call utilization. In
some companies only a few employees use
the phone at the same time whereas thestaff of busy contact centers are constantly
on the phone. The number of simultaneoususers plays a large role in determining thenumber of possible DECT units in one location.

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The figures illustrate that office layout,location and number of users has a major
impact on DECT density and therefore
influence how many headset users canbe on calls simultaneously.

Figure 1. The device range is proportional to the numberof users. Fewer users means range increases,
more users means range decreases.
HighRangeLow

Office layout and location
Walls, hallways, conference rooms and otherobstacles affect the range of DECT units.
The materials used in a building can also affectthe range. For instance, a solid concrete wall
limits the range of the radio signal more thana window, but can lower interference fromradio signals from neighboring offices.

Products deployed
DECT is an industry standard and all DECT
products must comply with the relevant
regulations and standards. However, there
are major differences in the quality ofdifferent headset models and manufacturers,
which also has an impact on the maximum
number of units deployed and their range.

DECT density can also be influenced by
the same technology being utilized in thevicinity. In Figure 2, the number of units
and the range for each unit will decrease
if companies in the vicinity also use DECTtechnology. How much, is determined by thesize of the DECT solution and factors likebuilding materials.

Our recommendation
At EPOS, we recommend an estimatedmaximum number of DECT units that can bedeployed in one location as seen in Figure 3.
However, the above mentioned factors
must be considered when planning thedeployment of DECT technology.

ManyFewUsers

Figure 2. The DECT density can also be affected from Office A
to Office B and vice versa.

Office A

Office B

Figure 3.
Estimated max. Number of Units per Location*
Large office environment

Europe/APAC**
D 10, DW andSDW 5000
SeriesUS
D 10, SD andSDW 5000
SeriesContact Centers – When 90 % ofusers spend most of the time on calls

200 units

100 units

Offices – When up to 40 % ofusers call at the same time

360 units

180 units* Location is defined as an open office environment which is not interfering withanother area using a DECT system. The estimated max. number of units per location
is based on the maximum optimization of DECT units (combination of narrowband
or high-density wideband mode in the SDW 5000 Series and short-range mode),which is described on page 7 of this white paper.
** With exception of Japan which has another DECT standard.

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How to increase thenumber of EPOS DECT
headsets in use
Typically, the number of employees increases
when a company expands. This will often leadto the use of more headsets in the office andthereby increase the density. In many cases,
this is not a problem but if the number ofsimultaneous users increases dramatically it
may be necessary to address the issue.
Today, it is possible to deploy a larger numberof DECT units in one area by making a few
smart choices regarding your DECT devices.
Choose short-range modeThis means that you choose a shorter range(approximately 5–10 meters / 16–32 feet in highdensity) for each device. The employee will notbe able to use the full range, but in reality thisis often not a problem.
Choose narrowband mode or high density
wideband mode
Wideband mode (150–6.800 Hz) delivers
better voice quality but also occupies twoof the available DECT channels on the radio
spectrum. In narrowband mode (300–3.500 Hz),the number of channels cannot be increased,
which makes it a good option for the majorityof landline calls. The voice quality is still goodand each device only occupies one DECT
channel. This is possible to adjust on all EPOS
DECT headset series. A unique feature of
our DECT headsets is that they can operate
in narrowband even in PC mode. With theintroduction of the SDW 5000 Series including
a new high density wideband mode, the same

number of users can benefit from warm, natural
audio in wideband sound as if narrowband
mode was selected. This high density wideband
mode provides users with better audio quality
and an improved conversation experience.
Close the audio connection
when you are not on a call
The auto link function of EPOS DECT headsets
automatically links the headset with the basestation when it is taken out of the charger. To
secure maximum DECT capacity, headsets
need to be put back into the cradle when not
on a call. This closes the link to the base stationand thereby frees up DECT channels, making
it possible to deploy more units in the sameoffice environment.

Enjoy music while working via headphones
and not your DECT headset
It is very convenient for users to use a DECT
headset when listening to music while working,especially with the SDW 5000 double-sided
headsets, as users can benefit from stereo
sound. However it makes a lot of sense toswitch to wired headphones instead. This isbecause listening to music in this way takes up
two DECT channels and limits the total numberof devices which can be used in the officespace. If a company has device density issues,
this is important to be aware of so that users
can be encouraged to only use headsets forcommunication and enjoy music instead with
their wired headphones.

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03.2023- 1 0281 6 2738

EPOS Group A/S
Industriparken 272750 Ballerup, Denmark
eposaudio.com