Crown Castle Helps Fans Stay Connected with Distributed Antenna Systems
22/08/2013
Whether renovation or new build, every venue - regardless of size or purpose - must ensure that the fans passing through the turnstiles can use their mobile devices to connect with each other and the outside world. Venue operators, recognizing that reliable wireless connectivity can make the difference between attending a game or watching from home, are viewing distributed-antenna-system (DAS) networks not as a perk but as a necessity.
Crown Castle, the largest U.S. provider of shared wireless infrastructure, has played a vital role in several recent renovations and new builds, including AmericanAirlines Arena (Miami Heat), Amway Center (Orlando Magic), and CONSOL Energy Arena (Pittsburgh Penguins), to name a few. The company provides full design, construction, operation, and maintenance of DAS networks, as well as wireless-carrier negotiations, contracts, and coordination.
The bottom line is that most fans have a smartphone and/or a tablet device and, at games, they want to take pictures, send texts, and make phone calls, says Scott Davidson, sales director, DAS, Crown Castle. Quite honestly, when you have a basketball arena and there's 20,000 screaming fans, if there isn't some kind of a dedicated wireless system in the arena, there's not going to be the voice and data capacity available to do those kinds of things.
What's in a DAS?
One of the most prominent misconceptions surrounding DAS networks is that they are interchangeable with WiFi networks. Venues, particularly new builds, often install both at once, furthering the confusion. In fact, DAS is an entirely separate network and infrastructure, requiring its own equipment and operation. DAS networks handle both voice and data.
A distributed-antenna system, as its name suggests, comprises small radio-access nodes (RANs), each equipped with a multiband antenna, scattered throughout the venue. Those antennas are connected via fiber to a base station, often called a headend, which houses a wireless services provider's equipment, as well as backhaul, switching resources, and power.
Each DAS network is tied back to Crown Castle's 24/7 network-operations center in Pittsburgh, which responds to any issues or network outages.
Working With Venues, Carriers
Crown Castle's DAS installation process begins when the company signs a long-term lease with the venue, obtaining the right to install, design, and operate the DAS network for a specified timeframe. Once the agreement is in place, Crown Castle will identify and approach wireless carriers for involvement.
We'll go to wireless carriers and find out what they want to do: what are their coverage goals? That'll lead us into how we're going to design and build out the system from an RF standpoint: where we're going to put in antennas and how dense of a network they want, explains Michael Stafford, small cell implementation project manager, Crown Castle. Then, inside the venue, we'll do a design walk [and] do some preliminary testing [to] figure out how we want to build this system to achieve the carriers' goals.
A neutral-host DAS provider like Crown Castle will work with multiple wireless carriers in one venue, including Verizon, AT&T, Sprint, and T-Mobile. Together, Crown Castle and the carrier determine their ultimate subscriber-capacity goals in order to plot out how many antennas are needed.
Ideally, installing a DAS network as part of a new build is preferable to integrating one into an existing communications infrastructure. As stadiums and arenas look to enhance their connectivity, most of Crown Castle's current DAS networks are integrated into existing venues, requiring a bit of creativity in working within the venue's physical constraints and personality.
In addition to antenna placement, Crown Castle must also work with the venue on a location for the headend equipment. The headend room, either a converted space or newly constructed room, can be as small as 500 sq. ft. or as large as 2,000 sq. ft., with Crown Castle recommending approximately 1,000 sq. ft.
The headend room at the AmericanAirlines Arena is on the larger side and has been very well received by cellular carriers that have already installed their equipment to serve the arena. The largest carrier to install equipment has mentioned that seldom does it get to install such a large and integrated system with no failures, bugs, or flaws, beyond the customary adjustments.
Through its deployment of a state-of-the art indoor DAS network, AmericanAirlines Arena is revolutionizing the ways fans stay connected with friends and family around the world, says Tony Coba, SVP/CIO, The HEAT Group. This allows our patrons to instantly share their in-venue experiences via their mobile devices by sharing calls, videos, texts, and photos, ensuring a superb cellular wireless experience before, during, and after a live basketball game or concert.
A Super' Future
For large-scale events, installation of a DAS network is pivotal not only in the venue but in the surrounding areas where fans congregate. Crown Castle upgraded its DAS network in New Orleans' French Quarter area prior to Super Bowl XLVII. The company is currently working on upgrading its DAS network in and around University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, AZ, for Super Bowl XLIX in 2015.
LINK: | http://sportsvideo.org/main/blog/2013/08/crown-castle-helps-fans-stay-... |
See more stories from svg |
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet Appoints Santiago Solanas as CEO to Lead Next Era of Growth and Innovation
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
14/05/2024
Avid Presents - Meet the Sound Team Behind True Detective: Night Country
Avid Presents - Meet the Sound Team Behind True Detective: Night Country Brie Clayton May 13, 2024 0 Comments There's nothing quite like the sound...
14/05/2024
Rethinking Media Archiving with Object Storage
Rethinking Media Archiving with Object Storage Brie Clayton May 13, 2024 0 Comments Media producers today need to maintain online access to all conten...
14/05/2024
Liquid Morphing Motion in After Effects
Liquid Morphing Motion in After Effects Graham Quince May 13, 2024 0 Comments I'm not too sure if it is liquid motion but it's probably the b...
14/05/2024
Why APSC Lenses Might Be All You Need
Why APSC Lenses Might Be All You Need Sean Alami May 13, 2024 0 Comments Exploring the big impact of small sensors: Dive into how APSC lenses offer ci...
14/05/2024
Intelligent Video Effects with Film Impact in Adobe Premiere Pro Transitions
Intelligent Video Effects with Film Impact in Adobe Premiere Pro Transitions Colin Smith May 13, 2024 0 Comments This tutorial is part 2 of a detail...
14/05/2024
Shawne Merriman Turns on Lights Out Sports Streamer
Former NFL linebacker Shawne Merriman has soft-launched Lights Out Sports, a free ad-supported sports streaming service....
14/05/2024
Stars Are Back for Upfronts, More Dollars May Follow as Well
Television companies expect this year's upfront to be stronger than last year's....
13/05/2024
Entry opens for EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024
Journalists from the Western Balkans and T rkiye can now submit their investigative stories published in 2023 for the EU Award for Investigative Journalism 2024...
13/05/2024
Sundance Film Festival: London 2024 Announces Repertory Shorts Programme, Three Repertory Features And Three Public Talks
Tickets on sale now London, 13 May 2024 - Today Picturehouse and the nonprofit ...
13/05/2024
In Their Own Words: Audiobooks To Explore During Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
May is Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage Month (APIHM), a time to reflect and ...
13/05/2024
Eurovision 2024: Swiss Singer Nemo Took the Crown, but There's More Talent To Celebrate
From C line Dion to ABBA, the Eurovision Song Contest has served as a launchpad ...
13/05/2024
Eurovision delivers strong Total TV audiences for SBS, with more than 2.2 million Australians tuning in
Eurovision delivers strong Total TV audiences for SBS, with more than 2.2 millio...
13/05/2024
L3Harris and Azerbaijan Airlines Advancing Pilot Training Capabilities in the Caspian Sea Region with Cutting-Edge Boeing 787-9 Full Flight Simulator
L3Harris is pleased to announce that it has secured a contract with Azerbaijan A...
13/05/2024
PBS Stations to Gain Access to Nielsen Local Dashboards
ARLINGTON, Va. PBS has received a significant grant from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) to provide PBS Member Stations with Nielsen Local Dashboa...
13/05/2024
IBC2024 Now Open for Registration, Adds New AI Tech Zone
LONDON IBC2024, the broadcast industry's second largest international trade show, is now open for registration. Organizers said exhibition space reservation...
13/05/2024
CNBC: Sinclair Considering Selling Some Broadcast Stations
Sinclair Broadcast Group is reportedly considering selling more than 30% of its broadcast stations according to CNBC....
13/05/2024
Three New Shows on NBC's Fall Schedule
NBC has shared its fall schedule, with three new series set to premiere: Drama Brilliant Minds, with Zachary Quinto; comedy St. Denis Medical, with Wendi McLend...
13/05/2024
Animated Show Housebroken' Will Not Return on Fox
Animated comedy Housebroken will not see season three on Fox. The network said it was pleased with the show's creative, but viewer response wasn't stron...
13/05/2024
Tributes Flow for KTLA Entertainment Reporter Sam Rubin, Dead at 64
Tributes flowed in Hollywood today after KTLA in Los Angeles reported that longtime morning-news entertainment reporter, Sam Rubin, had died Friday at age 64....
13/05/2024
CBS Sports to Use 5G-Connected Cameras to Cover PGA Championship
T-Mobile announced today that it is deploying its 5G Advanced Network Solutions (ANS) to enhance the fan experience as well as CBS Sports' live coverage of ...
13/05/2024
The Film and TV Charity launches fund for Black and Global Majority professionals
Funding will be awarded in three rounds over two years, with applications for th...
13/05/2024
IBC2024 opens for registration and announces new AI tech zone
This years show features an expanded venue including a new AI tech Zone and a second Content Everywhere area By Matthew Corrigan Published: May 13, 2024 T...
13/05/2024
David Loving Named KHOU-KTBU Houston General Manager
David Loving srtarts as president and general manager of KHOU-KTBU Houston May 20. He comes from WOI-KCWI Des Moines, where he was the general manager. Both duo...
13/05/2024
Rick Sallinger, KCNC Denver Reporter, Has Died
Rick Sallinger, KCNC Denver reporter, died of natural causes May 9 in the Denver area. He was 74....
13/05/2024
ABC Renews Idol,' Shark Tank,' Dancing With the Stars,' Others
In advance of its upfront presentation, ABC has renewed American Idol for season eight, The Bachelor for season 29, Celebrity Jeopardy! for season three, Celebr...
13/05/2024
Gordon Ramsay, Fox Launch Bite Food Entertainment Platform
Fox Entertainment and Gordon Ramsay said they have launched Bite, a food brand and entertainment business featuring digital content, live events and consumer pr...
13/05/2024
Doctor Who' Showrunner on What New Doctor Brings to Show
The 15th Doctor in Doctor Who history steps onstage with the show debuting on Disney Plus May 10. It is Ncuti Gatwa, who played Eric Effiong in Sex Education. H...
13/05/2024
Drug Discovery, STAT! NVIDIA, Recursion Speed Pharma R&D With AI Supercomputer
Described as the largest system in the pharmaceutical industry, BioHive-2 at the Salt Lake City headquarters of Recursion debuts today at No. 35, up more than 1...
13/05/2024
SVG Sit-Down: Blackmagic Design's Dan May Explores Addition of Instant-Replay to Davinci Resolve Solution
SVG Sit-Down: Blackmagic Design's Dan May Explores Addition of Instant-Repla...
13/05/2024
For PWHL, Raycom, and Dome, Production of the League's First Season Is More Than Just Covering a Sport
For PWHL, Raycom, and Dome, Production of the League's First Season Is More ...
13/05/2024
When You Aggregate Niche Sports, Suddenly They Become a Big Deal - Glen Killane on the EBU's New OTT Service
When you aggregate niche sports, suddenly they become a big deal Glen Killane...
13/05/2024
SVG Sit Down: NEP Europe President Lise Heidal on Staying Close to Clients and Investing Wisely
Interview: NEP Europe president Lise Heidal on staying close to clients and inve...
13/05/2024
Megapixel's GhostFrame, HELIOS LED Technologies Take Virtual Production to Whole New Level
Megapixel's GhostFrame, HELIOS LED Technologies Take Virtual Production to W...
13/05/2024
SVG College Summit 2024: James Madison University Offers Exclusive Look at Its New Production Facility
SVG College Summit 2024: James Madison University Offers Exclusive Look at Its N...
13/05/2024
Broadcast Innovation in India: As Live Sports Continues To Grow, Industry Leaders Discuss Opportunity in the Subcontinent
Broadcast Innovation in India: As Live Sports Continues To Grow, Industry Leader...
13/05/2024
Netflix ISP Speed Index for April 2024
Back to All News Netflix ISP Speed Index for April 2024 Mulitcolor streaks on a black background curved right to foreground with the Netflix logo N at the top...
13/05/2024
Fala Chen Joins Cast for Edward Berger's 'The Ballad of a Small Player' for Netflix
Back to All News Fala Chen Joins Cast for Edward Bergers The Ballad of a Small ...
13/05/2024
Harmonic Launches New High-Density Remote OLT to Simplify Fiber Broadband Service
SAN JOSE, Calif. - May 13, 2024 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced the la...
13/05/2024
FOX Entertainment Announces 2024-25 Program Slate
FOX Entertainment Announces 2024-25 Program Slate NEW AND RETURNING SCRIPTED SERIES FROM CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS, INCLUDING JOHN WELLS, BARBIE ...
13/05/2024
FMX. Stuttgart. April 23-26, 2024
MAX-R Mixed Augmented and Extended Reality Media Pipeline Tuesday, April 23 At this year's FMX in Stuttgart, FilmLight demonstrated a proof of concept co...
13/05/2024
Robin Dibble Joins CODA Audio
CODA Audio is pleased to announce the appointment of Robin Dibble to the post of Global Sales Support Manager. Working proactively with CODA's partner netwo...
13/05/2024
2024-05-13
CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple Music today announced the release of its 100 Best Albums of all time, a celebratory list of the greatest records ever made, crafted ...
13/05/2024
Q&A with Kai Luke Brmmer as he prepares for Moffie his latest theatrical endeavour
Q&A with Kai Luke Br mmer as he prepares for Moffie his latest theatrical endeav...
13/05/2024
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Mthetho's funeral gets underway, and Thandiswa finds herself trapped inside his casket
Tonight on Smoke and Mirrors: Mthetho's funeral gets underway, and Thandiswa...
13/05/2024
Ballyduff Drama Group hailing from Co. Waterford Scoops Top Award in 2024 RT All Ireland Drama Festival
RT Marks 20 Years as Title Sponsor of the Festival with special anniversary vid...
13/05/2024
New landmark documentary series Stardust on RT One and RT Player
New compelling eye-witness testimony of Stardust fire in RT documentary Series filmed over three years includes interview with Charlie Bird filmed in 2021 N...
13/05/2024
Drug Discovery, STAT! NVIDIA, Recursion Speed Pharma R&D With AI Supercomputer
Described as the largest system in the pharmaceutical industry, BioHive-2 at the...
12/05/2024
Berklee Honors Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa at Commencement
Berklee Honors Ledisi, Q-Tip, and Gilberto Santa Rosa at Commencement This years honorary doctorate recipients were recognized for their profound influence as...