Verizon Business has today (Thursday) announced a dedicated strategy for stadium and venue customers located in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region.
The company has also teamed up with Extreme Networks, which becomes a technology partner within Verizon’s international stadium partner ecosystem.
Extreme will work with Verizon to deliver HD Wi-Fi to future event venues. Extreme has also announced today that it has selected Verizon Business as its technology deployment partner for the planned roll-out of Wi-Fi solutions at Old Trafford, home of Premier League football club Manchester United.
United appointed Extreme as its official Wi-Fi network solutions provider in January as part of a multi-year deal. Under the agreement, Extreme Wi-Fi 6 access points will be fitted across the stadium and Verizon Business will now support the partnership to enhance United’s digital services such as mobile ticketing and touchless transactions.
Verizon said the announcement of its new strategy builds on the company’s network-as-a-service foundation and supports its “private networks, mobile-edge compute and business solutions vectors of growth”.
Verizon provides technology for over 200 sports stadiums and event venues in the US, and will now begin offering services for venues located in Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. Tailored solutions will include Verizon 5G capabilities, security solutions, HD Wi-Fi and professional consultancy services.
Tami Erwin, chief executive of Verizon Business, said: “You cannot underestimate the impact transformational technologies such as 5G will have on innovation across the entertainment and sports industries.
“For years, we‘ve been collaborating with facility leaders, vendors and fans to reimagine fan experiences. We understand the potential of these technologies; from deploying innovative fan experiences, shortening queue times, using analytics for fan safety or streamlining matchday operations.
“We have the experience, and now, an international ecosystem of partners aligned with our organisation who are just as committed to living up to the passion of fans who build memories at these venues.”
Norman Rice, chief operating officer at Extreme Networks, added: “As leagues continue to evolve, the network will permeate every aspect of the in-stadium experience from biometrics, mobile sports betting, and mobile concessions.
“Additionally, the ability to unlock network analytics to better optimise fan experiences will be a game changer. Extreme and Verizon have a proven track record of collaborating to create best-in-class experiences for NASCAR, the NFL and NHL at some of the world’s most iconic stadiums, venues and events.”
In other news, Verizon has announced plans to roll out its 5G Ultra Wideband technology for Formula 1’s inaugural Miami Grand Prix this weekend.
Fans attending the race, which will incorporate Hard Rock Stadium, will have access to the 5G Multi-View experience and be able to carry out contactless shopping.
Around 80,000 fans per day are expected to attend the race, which will be the first F1 event in the US to provide access to Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband. The technology provides download speeds of up to one gigabit per second and also has the capacity to support data-heavy actions from multiple devices at one time.
Image: Alex Motoc on Unsplash
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