Feature

Aruba to boost Wi-Fi at Bank of America Stadium

HP-owned Aruba has installed a new Wi-Fi network at Bank of America Stadium, the home of NFL American football franchise the Carolina Panthers.

The Aruba Gigabit Wi-Fi network forms part of a three-phase upgrade project, which began last off-season with a rebuild of the DAS system to provide better cellular coverage in the stadium. Phase two of the plan saw the Panthers evaluate various providers before opting for Aruba.

The franchise then enlisted the help of partner AmpThink to install over 1,220 Aruba 802.11ac access points in a stadium-tested, under-the-seat deployment and Aruba Mobility Controllers. In addition, the team implemented AirWave network management to optimise network performance and connectivity issues.

The Panthers said the installations have had a major impact on fan experiences during the first three games of the seasons, with more than 20,000 unique users connecting to the network each match. Plans are now in place to further enhance connectivity with Aruba’s Mobile Engagement Solution with Aruba Beacons.

James Hammond, director of information technology for the Panthers, said: “We know the in-stadium experience has to surpass at-home game watching for fans to continue coming to games. It was clear that we needed an infrastructure upgrade in order to deliver the kind of connected stadium experience fans expect.”

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