Things You Should Know About WiFi for Large Stadiums and Venues

Posted on Jun 27, 2023 by

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Stadiums and venues are among the most demanding environments for Wi-Fi deployments. Specific challenges include an extremely high number of client devices (ultra-high-density), device diversity (e.g., smartphones, AR/VR glasses/helmets), high-bandwidth per client data consumption and unique physical, RF deployment obstacles (e.g., stadium bowls/mid-to-upper-level seating). Beyond the technical challenges, stadium-grade Wi-Fi must support a wide range of critical internal operations such as wayfinding, ticketing, concessions, merchandise and parking systems.

Advantages of WiFi Network in Stadiums and Venues

Social Sharing

Fans want to seamlessly access live feeds of information, share their experiences via social media and engage with the team and game through a mobile device – which is more important than ever before. The modern fan’s expectations have evolved and as much as they enjoy the game, they are accustomed to having constant connectivity to the outside world. Millennials in particular are more interested in using their phones to share their experiences externally, rather than to obtain information. During the game, Millennials want to send texts to their friends, upload photos to Instagram、Twitter or Facebook, and tweet real-time updates.

Social Sharing

Marketing and Revenue

When a user signs into your stadium’s or venue’s WiFi, they’re directed to a branded landing page so you’ll be boosting your brand every time this happens. Considering that sports stadiums and venues are huge arenas designed to hold thousands of people, that’s a lot of brand awareness. Simply providing a functional connectivity experience that meets user expectations presents a marketing opportunity. Stadiums and venues can partner with brands to offer Wi-Fi users a branded message upon connecting, or a branded landing page can display offers and promotions that the user might be interested in, such as countdowns to upcoming events, ticket sales and offers on food, drink and merchandise. This can help boost revenue.

Customer Analytics

WiFi is not only beneficial for enhancing the customer's experience during a stadium event, but it can also provide valuable insights into the needs and preferences of attendees. By using the services of a stadium WiFi provider, anonymized data on customer behavior, such as travel distance, event preferences, and frequency of visits, can be collected and analyzed. Heat maps can also reveal the most popular entrance and exit points within the stadium. This data can be used to tailor the stadium's offerings to better suit the habits of the customers, leading to increased satisfaction and revenue.

Security

Moreover, WiFi can also be used to improve stadium security and safety. With the ability to monitor and track devices connected to the WiFi network, stadium staff can quickly identify and address any potential security threats.

FS Venues WiFi Solution and Highlights

What kind of solution can meet the needs of venues' WiFi network? Here we provide a full solution including the network topology, product features and parameters.

FS Venues WiFi Solution

Tips for deploying this network topology:

1. Auditorium stand: FS AP-T567 is installed every 15m, using the installation method of holding a horizontal bar or hanging a steel beam structure. The directional AP covers a maximum distance of 150m and can be deployed separately in each stand. According to the environmental requirements of the deployment site, adjust the equipment inclination angle and antenna coverage direction, and align it with the middle of the seats on each floor.
2. Outdoor photography work area: install one FS AP-T567 every 15m, or on a light pole within a certain distance, the recommended coverage distance is 100m, according to the requirements of the deployment site environment, adjust the equipment inclination angle and antenna coverage direction towards the photography work area.
3. Media release area: wireless APs are placed at equal intervals horizontally and vertically, with an interval of about 12-15m. FS AP-N635 is used for ceiling installation, and the installation height is controlled at 3-5m from the ground. A single AP supports the access of 150 terminals.
4. VIP box: FS AP-N635 ceiling installation is used every 15m, and the installation height is controlled at 3-5m from the ground. A single AP supports the access of 150 terminals.

What are the highlights of this solution?

WiFi 6E greatly improves terminal performance and easily handles high-density media release hall scenarios

Wi-Fi 6E adds a 6GHz frequency band and 1200MHz spectrum resources. Compared with the 2.4G and 5G frequency band resources in traditional Wi-Fi 6, Wi-Fi 6E adds 6G frequency band resources (5925MHz~7125MHz) and the total channel capacity has more than doubled. Effectively reduce channel congestion and increase concurrency.

Wi-Fi 6E makes full use of the 160MHz bandwidth channel, and the peak rate is doubled compared with Wi-Fi 6. It is an excellent solution to high-bandwidth applications, and high-definition video conferences are no longer stuck.

The latency of Wi-Fi 6E is significantly reduced, with an ultra-low latency of less than 3ms. The latency reduction in dense scenes is more than 8 times that of Wi-Fi 6, and the AR/VR application experience is greatly improved.

Access to the Airware unified cloud management platform, improving O&M efficiency

Cloud collaborative dynamic security active defense based on wireless radio frequency; Visual O&M realizes intelligent network optimization and expert-level troubleshooting; A unified O&M management platform realizes unified monitoring and management of wired and wireless network equipment and key links.

Which product should I choose to build the hotel WiFi network?

Here is a list which includes FS devices for reference:

Product classification	Model	Brief Introduction
Airware	Airware Cloud	A Cloud-based Scalable Network Platform
Wireless Access Point	AP-T567	Cloud Managed Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2400 Mbps Outdoor Access Point, 2x2 MU-MIMO Dual Radios, Built-in Directional Antenna
Wireless Access Point	AP-T565	Cloud Managed Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 2975 Mbps Indoor Access Point, 2x2 MU-MIMO Dual Radios
Wireless Access Point	AP-N505	Cloud Managed Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax 3000 Mbps Indoor Access Point, 2x2 MU-MIMO Dual Radios
Wireless Controller	AC-7072	802.11ax Wireless LAN Controller with 8 Gigabit Combo Ports, 4x 10 Gb SFP+
PoE+ Switch	S3410-24TS-P	24-Port Gigabit Ethernet L2+ PoE+ Switch, 24 x PoE+ Ports @740W, with 2 x 10Gb SFP+ Uplinks and 2 x Combo SFP Ports, Broadcom Chip
10G Switch	S5860-20SQ	24-Port Ethernet L3 Switch, 20 x 10Gb SFP+, with 4 x 25Gb SFP28 and 2 x 40Gb QSFP+, Support Stacking, Broadcom Chip
Security Gateway	SG-5110	All in One Multi-WAN Security Gateway with 8 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) Ports, 1x SFP, 1x SFP+

Common Challenges of Large Stadium and Venue WiFi

Venue owners know that getting fans off their couches and into the stadium requires a truly interactive and engaging experience. To attract fans needs to meet higher expectations, offering experiences that are different from home, such as supporting personalized instant video replays and live selfies. However, both stadiums and venues have a lot of space, especially since many venues are not in metropolitan areas which means traditional cellular operators may not be as sophisticated and robust. Therefore, a strong Wi-Fi network is required. Here are the hurdles you need to overcome before you can achieve your goal of smooth stadium and venue WiFi.

Capacity

Capacity is one of the first things to consider when it comes to delivering stadium and venue WiFi, determining whether a WiFi network at a stadium or venue can handle the large number of devices being connected at any given time. Relying on mobile carriers to provide enough bandwidth for fans on game day has proved to be inadequate. Sports fans are so used to having great cell phone service at all times that they take good cell service for granted but draw the line when they can't make calls or use their mobile data service. Therefore, when considering the number of people accessing WiFi in a stadium or venue, it is equally important to consider how many devices each person can use at the same time as well. For example, someone might be using a laptop, a smartphone, and a tablet — hoping for a perfect, seamless connection on each device.

Coverage

Also need to consider the issue of coverage and whether all visitors can access it anytime, anywhere. Plan for where fans will move, where they will congregate and where they are likely to be most popular. When looking for a solution, consider where people use their devices and spend the most time. By doing this, you avoid paying extra coverage costs for areas where people never use the stadium's and venue's WiFi.

Security

Exploiting vulnerabilities in Wi-Fi networks are among the top ways threat actors access public data. Even the most well-meaning cybersecurity solutions can have holes due to missed software patches, unidentified security protocol gaps, and missed security settings within network equipment. To help stifle the attempts of cybersecurity threats against a stadium’s wireless network, a robust wireless control system and segregated networks is a must, for example, venues may offer secure guest Wi-Fi with device isolation.