Troon 17 Ostend: full ASTRID coverage in a new coastal building
In the centre of Ostend, construction firm Furnibo built the residential new-build project Troon 17: a modern, energy-efficient structure with homes and an underground car park. Exactly the kind of building that poses a challenge for emergency service communication. Mercuron provided the full ASTRID indoor coverage there, from basement to top floor.
The problem: a modern coastal build is a radio cage
Today's new-builds are designed to keep energy in — and in doing so keep radio signals out. Reinforced concrete, high-performance glass with metal coating and thick insulation work together like a Faraday cage. For residents, that means at most a glitchy phone. For police, fire and ambulance services, it means something far more serious.
The ASTRID network is the safety radio of all Belgian emergency and security services. During an intervention — a fire, a medical emergency call, an evacuation — teams must be able to communicate flawlessly indoors and underground, with each other and with the outside world. In an underground car park, where no outside signal penetrates, that is simply impossible without infrastructure.
Coverage that drops out the moment it matters is not an inconvenience. It's a risk you cannot leave to chance.
The approach: coverage designed, not improvised
Mercuron tackled Troon 17 the way every ASTRID installation should be handled — as a design, not as a patch afterwards:
• Measurement and analysis. We mapped where the outdoor ASTRID signal reaches the building and where it disappears entirely — from the top floor to deep in the car park.
• Design of a distributed antenna system. Based on the measurements, we designed an indoor coverage system that captures, amplifies and evenly distributes the ASTRID signal across all levels, with particular attention to the underground zones.
• Installation and integration. Antennas, cable routes and equipment were neatly integrated into the building structure, in coordination with Furnibo's site.
• Measurement report and handover. After installation, we demonstrated with a measurement report that coverage meets the ASTRID standards everywhere — basement included.
The result: safety that works, even three years later
Troon 17 today has full, demonstrable ASTRID coverage on every level. Should an emergency service ever need to act there, communication does not drop out — not on the top floor, and not in the basement where it is hardest of all.
For Furnibo, that means a building that meets expectations around safety communication, delivered without surprises afterwards. For future residents and emergency services, it means peace of mind you don't see — until the day it counts.
Considering a new-build or renovation project where ASTRID, GSM or DAB+ coverage plays a role? Involve us early. Coverage designed in from the plans is always cheaper, cleaner and more reliable than a solution retrofitted afterwards. Get in touch for a no-obligation analysis.