Ventev, Partners, Broaden Wi-Fi Reach Of Stadiums With Customizable Technology

When attending a major sporting event, the ability to receive a cellphone signal is taken for granted, but there is actually a major amount of work that is behind that user experience. With some sports stadiums today holding north of 100,000 seats, it's no small assignment to deliver a strong Wi-Fi signal for spectators.

"Today, attending a stadium event is an experience people want to share," said Jeff Lime, vice president of Ventev Wireless Infrastructure, a Hunt Valley, Md.-based manufacturer of products for wireless solutions and networks. "In a stadium event, the macro cell sites of a stadium is what is providing the coverage for that area, but when you put 40,000 or 50,000 or 70,000 or more people in that stadium, and they are starting to text and tweet and stream and pull information down on their fantasy football or what have you, the macro cell site can't handle all that information at one time. It'll handle a certain number of users, but when you have that many users, you need another technology. That's why we are seeing Wi-Fi as an offloading technology to become a better coverage and capacity for those users."

Ventev Wireless deploys technology and solutions into stadiums that extend already existing Wi-Fi signals and is one of the largest national providers in the field of extending Wi-Fi signals in high-density cellular sites.

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"In order to get optimum wireless performance, you can't just be blasting stuff through concrete," said Samuel Clements, practice manager of mobility at Presidio, a Brentwood, Tenn.-based solution provider and Ventev partner specializing in stadium wireless signal installations. "If you think of your typical bowl stadium, we are exposing those assets to the fans, which can be a challenge in and of itself. We need to put those solutions as close as possible to those fans, and Ventev solutions address all those concerns to put those devices as close as we can to give the fans the best wireless experience."

Ventev has deployed its TerraWave antennas and enclosures through its VARs to fill many stadiums for both college and professional sports across the United States with protected wireless signals, including NFL stadiums and MLB parks. The company also provides services for venues other than stadiums, such as cruise ships and college campuses.

"Stadium wireless networks are incredibly difficult and incredibly challenging to deploy for a variety of reasons," said Clements. "Ventev really gives us a whole variety of flexible solutions specifically for stadiums. They've built custom antennas for us, custom enclosures, and so on. It's delivered unique coverage patterns, including under-seat mounting devices to spread Wi-Fi signals further throughout both collegiate and professional sports venues."

With the company's products of TerraWave high-density antennas, Ventev can direct radio frequency signals to increase the capacity in areas of high concentration of mobile devices. The company said stadium owners have used its products, including handrail antennas and high-density directional antennas to provide Wi-Fi signals to patrons, point-of-sale operations and sideline communications.

The company's versatility makes it attractive to channel partners, as they can offer antennas that mount in stadium railings that section off seating areas, back walls of seating sections in arenas and under seats of patrons in the stands.

"The flexibility Ventev brings to the table as a partner really enables me to go and meet the general needs of any tier-one manufacturer 95 percent of the time by working with Ventev to make custom solutions to meet their needs," said Presidio's Clements. "Stadium wireless signals are challenging enough, but Ventev is all about flexibility. If they don't have a product that meets my needs, they can go ahead and make one. I don't know what more to ask for from a partner."

PUBLISHED OCT. 23, 2014