Houston’s NRG stadium recently received network enhancements from Verizon with the addition of 45 nodes, the equivalent of 15 full size cell sites retrofitted inside the stadium. The carrier announced the upgrades are designed to deliver 5G coverage using both Verizon’s newly acquired C-band spectrum and its high-band mmWave spectrum. Additionally, Verizon deployed advanced performance control features, and upgraded coverage and performance in the outdoor parking lot in anticipation of major events this year.
In 2017, for the Super Bowl, Verizon made major enhancements to the city, increasing data capacity more than 450 percent and adding permanent wireless solutions in key areas throughout Houston including NRG stadium. In recent months, Verizon engineers have added a combination of 4G LTE and 5G Ultra Wideband coverage throughout the stadium with a particular focus on providing 5G service to the lower bowl. Using Verizon’s C-band and its premium mmWave spectrum, the additional capacity will enable fans to connect to the events in the stadium.
“How, when and where customers use their devices is constantly changing, and we’re continually upgrading our network to stay ahead of their needs,” said Eric Lia, Vice President of Engineering and Access at Verizon. “Customers are clamoring for a more immersive wireless experience. Our team has been working for months to enhance the network and provide additional 5G coverage and capacity at NRG Stadium, especially on the floor where so much activity happens at these events.”
In addition to the extra coverage and capacity the 63 new sectors of cell sites provide, Verizon engineers added a performance enhancement technology that divides crowds into sectors like slices of a pie. According to Verizon, each slice or sector can be adjusted individually to handle wireless traffic. This technology is designed to give Verizon engineers more leeway to adjust performance based on where customers move and how they use data inside the stadium.
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