GARLAND, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Bank of America Stadium, home of the Super Bowl runner-up Carolina Panthers, will unveil a souped-up Wi-Fi network on July 30 when Champions Cup Soccer tournament comes to Charlotte. The new Wi-Fi network will provide fans with best in class high speed connectivity throughout the stadium.
“The Panthers strive to be the best team on the field, and we want to have the best fan-facing technology as well, which is why we partnered with AmpThink,” says Panthers director of information technology, James Hammond. “AmpThink has an impressive track record of success in venues across North America, and its approach to network design, construction, management and monetization is unique, something no other potential partner could offer.”
AmpThink’s design approach has been honed through completion of over 50 HD Wi-Fi projects in recent years. This volume of projects has yielded network data that has informed AmpThink’s approach and lead the company to promote a proximate network strategy, which puts wireless access points as close to the fans as possible.
“Proximity is a key to great network performance,” says Bill Anderson, President of AmpThink. “At Bank of America Stadium we are placing 65% of the access points under-seat as this was the best way to get Wi-Fi access closest to the fans in this particular venue.”
Installing under seat access points required AmpThink to execute and weatherproof hundreds of core / concrete penetrations. Throughout the process AmpThink worked closely with stadium facilities personnel and project architects to prove it could execute the work without causing unnecessary maintenance, aesthetic or fan experience headaches.
AmpThink also supplied over 900 custom enclosures for this project. These enclosures are used both under-seat and on concourses. AmpThink enclosures are RF optimized to allow maximum signal propagation, water tight to withstand power washing, sturdily built to hold up under fan foot traffic and carefully crafted to blend into stadium aesthetics.
The network was built using Aruba hardware that offered access points specifically designed for stadium use and concourse access points with integrated BLE beacons to enable new fan engagement opportunities.
In total the network employed 268,000 feet of CAT 6 copper cable, 1217 wireless access points, and 44 IDFs. From start to finish the new network will have taken just six months to complete. The European soccer tournament will be the network’s first real-life test, giving the Panthers a convenient soft launch before the NFL season begins.
About AmpThink
AmpThink is an elite team of mobility pros with deep experience in designing, building and operating HD Wi-Fi networks in large-scale, public spaces. Our longstanding clients include international wireless carriers, multi-billion-dollar equipment manufacturers, global stadium operations companies, major retail brands and warehousing operations, and dozens of professional and college sports teams. In sports we have delivered over 40 Wi-Fi networking projects across the U.S. and Canada in the past four years, more than any other Wi-Fi firm in the industry. Based in Garland, TX, AmpThink also develops software solutions, creates custom enclosures and manufactures copper and fiber optic cable for its own projects and for resale.
For more information go to www.ampthink.com.
