We’ve all been there, at a big sporting event wanting to send a cool video or post to social media while inside to brag to our friends and alas, the WiFi is either way too slow or isn’t working at all. Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA, home to Super Bowl 50, is calling itself “the most technologically advanced” athletic venue.
MobileSportsReport.com breaks down some of the top technical components of Levi’s Stadium. First up is the stadium’s WiFi performance. Levi’s is expecting more than 72,000 fans at Super Bowl 50, which not be the fastest or largest in all of the land, but the Super Bowl will be the true test to see how it, along with apps and personnel performance all work cohesively and effectively. Levi’s WiFi is an Aruba-gear network with an under-seat deployment that’s handled more than 1,200 APs to date. Last year’s Super Bowl WiFi traffic at the University of Phoenix Stadium hit 6.23 terabytes, and Levi Stadium’s biggest TB was 4.5 at WrestleMania last March.
Levi’s also replaced its distributed antenna system for better cellular connectivity. Fans have a choice, WiFi or cellular when connecting their phones. MobileSportsReport.com says that carriers and venues will sometimes join to deploy a DAS, “which is basically a bunch of small antennas located inside the venue that act just like a big cell tower.” Levi’s has a “neutral host” DAS and owns the antennas inside the stadium, but cell companies can rent them out for instances just like the Super Bowl. The entire network was replaced from the network just built the year before, but sources say that attendees will use up to 2.5 times more cellular data at this year’s big game, so an upgrade was needed. AT&T reportedly spent $25 million on wireless infrastructure upgrades in the Bay Area, including DAS inside the stadium, allowing for up to 150 percent more traffic this year.
Then there is the Levi’s Stadium app. It was a regular season hit, but will it extend to the Super Bowl? During the regular season, fans could order food delivery from their seats, or even send food to friends in the stands. The app also has wayfinding capabilities “through a mapping feature” that uses the more than 2,000 Bluetooth beacons in the stadium. It’s a great way to map your way through the stadium if you’re a newcomer or just directionally challenged. Additionally, the app allows for fans to watch instant replays and Super Bowl commercials all from their phones while at the game.
While MobileSportsReport.com has received no official word, the site says its been given a “head nod” that the app and all of its features will be available for Super Bowl 50.
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