Blizzard of snaps, streams and shares forecast for Super Bowl LII
January 16 2018 - 3:18PM
A “blizzard” of data usage is in the forecast for Super Bowl LII.
To ensure you can have the best experience at football’s biggest
game, over the past two years, we’ve increased wireless data
capacity by more than 500 percent, added LTE Advanced technology
and permanent new infrastructure to the Verizon network in
Minneapolis/Saint Paul. The permanent new network enhancements will
boost performance in U.S. Bank Stadium and areas of anticipated
high demand, including Super Bowl LIVE, Super Bowl Experience,
popular tourist attractions, airports, hotels, venues and other
special event locations throughout the Twin Cities area.
Verizon’s network enhancements for you
include:
- 24 new permanent cell sites
- 230+ permanent small cell sites
- Doubling of network capacity on Nicollet Mall with a new small
cell/design solution inside new bus shelters
- LTE Advanced features added to the 4G LTE network for greater
capacity and faster peak data speeds
- 48 percent more antennas added to Verizon’s Distributed Antenna
System (DAS) at the Stadium in 2017
- A new neutral host DAS system at Mall of America® boosting
Verizon’s network capacity by 900 percent
- A new neutral host DAS system at Minneapolis-Saint Paul
International Airport adding new 4G LTE coverage in tunnels,
boosting Verizon’s network capacity throughout the airport by more
than 1,000 percent
“Minneapolis/Saint Paul is now a super-connected city with
leading LTE Advanced network technology and the small cell
densification necessary for next gen technologies,” said Nicola
Palmer, Chief Network Engineer and Head of Wireless Networks,
Verizon. “Whether you are attending Super Bowl festivities or will
be visiting the Twin Cities in the future, we’ve added permanent
enhancements so our network is built for future growth.”
230+ small cells: target capacity where
neededIf you are one of the one million visitors expected
to enjoy the festivities in Minneapolis/Saint Paul, Verizon’s small
cells add the big capacity needed for more people to share their
experiences. Small cells are designed to blend into the urban
landscape, literally “hiding in plain sight” on street lights,
traffic signals or utility poles, and provide 4G LTE coverage for a
radius of approximately 1,000 feet. Small cells bring the
fiber connections and network “densification” needed to enable
Smart Cities technology (like managing traffic flow) and the next
generation network, 5G. As part of our Smart Communities work with
the city of Minneapolis, we’ve also installed security cameras on
street lights with our small cells in the downtown area to help the
city ensure the best experience possible for fans and citizens.
Super Bowl LIVE: unique bus shelter design For
10 days, Nicollet Mall in downtown Minneapolis will be the site of
the free football festival Super Bowl LIVE, presented by Verizon.
In addition to small cells serving the downtown area, Verizon
doubled network capacity by adding new small cells inside the bus
transit shelters along the Mall. This unique design solution will
provide more capacity for the anticipated crowds during Super Bowl
LIVE and serve you along the bus transit routes in the future.
U.S. Bank stadium: state-of-the-art DAS
systemFor game day, Verizon built a neutral host
state-of-the-art network system when the new tech-advanced U.S.
Bank stadium opened in 2016 for the Minnesota Sports Facilities
Authority. We added 48 percent more antennas in 2017 with
innovative design solutions exclusively for your connectivity,
including drink rail, handrail and under the seat antennas.
The capacity will be needed – wireless data usage inside at 2017
Vikings regular season home games was double the fan usage compared
to the 2016 season. At last year’s Super Bowl game day, Verizon
customers increased usage by 57 percent, consuming 11 terabytes of
wireless data, with 45% of the stadium attendees using our
network.
The stadium DAS system Verizon built is one of the largest in
the U.S. and Verizon customers will be connected by more than 1,200
antennas distributed over more than 100 coverage zones. A similar
outdoor stadium DAS provides coverage at the east entrance, light
rail station and west plaza area. In the first indoor use at an NFL
stadium, two Matsing Ball antennas (that appear like giant white
disco balls) are installed 330 feet above the field on the ridge
beam. They provide coverage by dividing the field into sectors,
like slices of a pie, for Super Bowl photographers and staff, and
for you at popular concerts with floor seating.
Event ready throughout Twin Cities We improved
coverage and capacity through DAS, in-building systems and small
cells at 20 area hotels, team practice facilities and major
highways serving the Twin Cities. A few key event locations include
added capacity and coverage at the Minneapolis Convention Center –
site of the NFL Experience and a new DAS system at the Minneapolis
Armory concert venue. Capacity was also added at Xcel Energy
Center/River Centre, Target Center, Mystic Lake’s new Convention
Center, and numerous shopping malls including the Mall of
America.®
Real-Time network monitoringWe will field our
own team of network engineers before and during Super Bowl LII to
monitor and manage the network in real-time both from a command
center and in U.S. Bank Stadium. Engineers equipped with
special test equipment will be walking events throughout the week
providing real-time data on network performance. These walk-testers
provide the flexibility for us to respond quickly and ensure the
best experience for you.
LTE Advanced technology: greater capacity and
speeds
Behind the scenes, Verizon’s network features the latest
technology known as LTE Advanced that adds network capacity and
increases speeds. The Minneapolis/Saint Paul area is one of the
nearly 2,000 markets where Verizon has deployed carrier
aggregation, and more than 560 markets with 4X4 MIMO and 256 QAM/64
QAM technologies.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) (Nasdaq:VZ), headquartered
in New York City, has a diverse workforce of 160,100 and generated
nearly $126 billion in 2016 revenues. Verizon operates America’s
most reliable wireless network and the nation’s premier all-fiber
network, and delivers integrated solutions to businesses worldwide.
Its Oath subsidiary reaches about one billion people around the
world with a dynamic house of media and technology brands.
VERIZON'S ONLINE MEDIA CENTER: News releases, stories, media
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Media contact:Karen
Smith763-595-2511Karen.Smith@verizonwireless.comTwitter:
@my3screens
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1504032e-60bc-4a87-8228-faaae5c75132
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