Estimate a theoretical wireless coverage radius for contact-center headsets, handsets, or access points using a free-space link budget. Unlike a simple advertised-range comparison, the calculator explicitly subtracts wall loss and fade margin from transmit power and antenna gains. Use it for an initial floor-plan discussion, then replace assumptions with a spectrum-aware site survey and roaming tests.
The radius is the free-space distance supported by the remaining link budget after explicitly reserving wall and fade losses.
The circular area assumes open, uniform propagation. Contact-center furniture, bodies, partitions, adjacent radios, channel reuse, and regulatory limits make real coverage irregular.
With 18 dBm power, 3 dBi base gain, 0 dBi device gain, 1,900 MHz, a −70 dBm threshold, 12 dB wall loss, and 15 dB margin, propagation allowance is 64 dB and radius is about 20 meters.
Wall loss represents known partitions, while fade margin reserves capacity for variable effects such as people, orientation, multipath, and uncertainty.
Only as a rough ceiling. Capacity, overlap, floor geometry, channel reuse, and irregular attenuation usually determine the real count.
Use the device or vendor threshold for reliable voice and roaming, which is usually stricter than the minimum level required merely to stay connected.
It reduces free-space path loss for the same link budget, but antenna design, regulations, interference, channel availability, and device behavior also matter.
Perform an on-site survey and live voice roaming tests under representative occupancy and interference conditions.
| Term | Planning meaning |
|---|---|
| Transmit power + gains | Energy launched and captured by antennas |
| Receive threshold | Minimum level selected for reliable voice |
| Wall loss | Expected fixed partition attenuation |
| Fade margin | Reserve for variable conditions and uncertainty |