HPE delivers Athonet private 5G solution alongside HPE Aruba
Networking Wi-Fi technology for the first time, providing
exceptional connectivity for fans and operations staff
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) today announced it has
deployed an integrated private 5G and Wi-Fi network at the 2023
Ryder Cup, showcasing the future of wireless connectivity.
Combining the private 5G technology of Athonet, a Hewlett Packard
Enterprise acquisition, and HPE Aruba Networking’s Wi-Fi technology
for the first time will deliver new ultra-secure capabilities,
greatly expanded coverage, and enhanced fan and staff experiences
at an unprecedented scale at one of the world’s most prestigious
sporting events.
The global golf event being held at Marco Simone Golf &
Country Club in Rome, Italy, September 25 – October 1, presents
unique connectivity challenges to the organizers. The golf course,
which covers 370 acres of archaeologically protected countryside,
has been transformed into one of the world’s largest temporary
sports stadiums that is set to host 250,000 spectators during the
event. With fans and event staff requiring ubiquitous
high-bandwidth connectivity at all times throughout the venue, the
vision to deliver an innovative, state-of-the-art wireless network
was paramount for organizers.
To meet the critical connectivity requirements of the Ryder Cup,
HPE designed a groundbreaking integrated Wi-Fi and private 5G
network. Wi-Fi predominantly provides the high-capacity
connectivity required for thousands of fans congregating in popular
areas. Private 5G provides wide-area coverage to more remote parts
of the golf course, as well as a secure private network dedicated
to critical operations staff. A network design like this provides a
preview into the future of private networking and is an early
realization of HPE’s vision when it acquired Athonet in June
2023.
“Each Ryder Cup gives us an opportunity to push the boundaries
of technological innovation to maximize the fan experience, so it
is really exciting to be breaking genuinely new ground with the
combination of world-class Wi-Fi and private 5G technology,” said
Michael Cole, chief technology officer of the European Tour group
and Ryder Cup Europe. “Private 5G brings huge operational benefits
in particular, providing us with a fully private network that will
be unaffected by the crowd’s high demand for high-bandwidth
applications. It gives us full course coverage for cellular devices
providing critical services like security, stewarding, ticketing,
and scoring that might have otherwise relied on the under pressure
local telecoms networks.”
“When we announced our acquisition of Athonet earlier this year,
our goal was to become the global leader in private 5G solutions
and the Ryder Cup is a perfect opportunity to showcase how our
Wi-Fi and private 5G innovations work together to achieve that
goal,” said Phil Mottram, executive vice president & general
manager, HPE Aruba Networking. “This is a perfect showcase for the
integration of private 5G and Wi-Fi in a challenging environment,
with private 5G providing extended range and reliability for
operations staff, while Wi-Fi 6E provides high-capacity
connectivity to thousands of fans concentrated in core areas.”
Driving the Ryder Cup forward with innovation
A high-performance Wi-Fi network powered by HPE Aruba Networking
continues to provide the main source of connectivity for
organizers, competitors, sponsors, and spectators. The higher
throughput capacity of a densely deployed Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
network is the optimal solution for crowded spaces like the
clubhouse, and hospitality and retail venues, as well as spectator
grandstands. Furthermore, devices like laptops and tablets often
cannot connect to cellular networks, and roaming agreements between
public and private cellular networks are in their infancy.
The network leverages the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 6E
technologies, delivering twice as much capacity as Paris 2018 via
more than 800 Wi-Fi access points. The backbone of the network is
built on 200 HPE Aruba Networking CX switches with AI-powered HPE
Aruba Networking Central for network management providing a single
point of visibility and control across the entire network. The
dashboard within HPE Aruba Networking Central also provides
AI-powered insights into what's happening across the entire
environment from a network troubleshooting, optimization, and
security perspective. HPE Aruba Networking ClearPass then provides
secure, efficient access control and onboarding for improved
spectator experience across the Wi-Fi infrastructure. Running the
network and compute environment from the HPE GreenLake
edge-to-cloud platform means less equipment is required on site and
it is more cost effective and quicker to deploy and manage.
The private 5G network covers the golf course with one radio
mast located in a central location powered by the Athonet Tactical
Cube, a compact and mobile private cellular solution for
mission-critical applications. Private 5G provides backhaul
connectivity to solar-powered Wi-Fi access points in more remote
parts of the golf course, extending the coverage of the Wi-Fi
network without the need for cabling. This is important as, due to
archaeological reasons, cables cannot be buried in certain parts of
the site. Private 5G also provides a secure, segmented network for
delay and capacity sensitive critical operations that need
guaranteed bandwidth, such as security, stewarding, and
transport.
Italy has allocated all 5G spectrum to mobile service providers,
so spectrum is not normally available direct to enterprises, but
the Italian Government made an exception for the Ryder Cup. The
Ministry of Communications has given access to the 3.8 GHz band,
which is perfect for 5G because it can carry plenty of data while
traveling significant distances. To realize the potential of
private 5G around the world, governments can play an important role
in empowering enterprises, telcos, and technology vendors by making
spectrum available for new, innovative use cases such as at the
Ryder Cup.
The most digitally engaging Ryder Cup ever
Ultimately, all the network innovation aids in the delivery of
an even better experience for fans. Nowadays, spectators not only
demand connectivity at all times, but they’re also seeking a
personalized, immersive experience driven by rich content. Powered
by insights from HPE’s network, fans in Rome will be able to
virtually navigate the golf course, jump the queues for merchandise
and food, and track player locations - no matter where they are on
the course. Similarly, operations staff can monitor fan behavior,
assign more staff during peak periods, and provide fan activations
on-the-fly.
As with most international sports, creating a more sustainable
event is high on the list of priorities and this is especially
challenging when you are essentially delivering a pop-up event. The
acceleration of wireless and cloud technologies at this year’s
Ryder Cup has led to a big reduction in physical equipment that
might otherwise be surplus to requirements after the event. It has
also meant there has been less disturbance of the golf course
ecology. The Ryder Cup is also one of the first global use cases
for the new sustainability dashboard on the HPE GreenLake platform
that delivers key insights on IT energy consumption, carbon
emissions, and electricity costs. The dashboard leverages advanced
analytics from across the technology estate to enable decision
making that improves overall sustainability performance.
About Hewlett Packard Enterprise
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) is the global
edge-to-cloud company that helps organizations accelerate outcomes
by unlocking value from all of their data, everywhere. Built on
decades of reimagining the future and innovating to advance the way
people live and work, HPE delivers unique, open and intelligent
technology solutions as a service. With offerings spanning Cloud
Services, Compute, High Performance Computing & AI, Intelligent
Edge, Software, and Storage, HPE provides a consistent experience
across all clouds and edges, helping customers develop new business
models, engage in new ways, and increase operational performance.
For more information, visit: www.hpe.com.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230928569577/en/
Alastair McCormick Alastair.mccormick@hpe.com
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE:HPE)
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