Wireless providers are staying busy this summer. By the end of this week, the symbolic torch should arrive in Atlanta, starting the 1996 Olympic Games. Just weeks after that, San Diego plans to play host to the 1996 Republican National Convention, and about two weeks later, the Democrats are scheduled to meet in Chicago for their own national convention.
BellSouth Mobility has spent $77 million preparing to meet the needs of the 500,000 to 700,000 potential cellular users that will be moving about Atlanta each day of the games.
BellSouth activated its Time Division Multiple Access digital network for the first time in May. The network will remain in use for the Paralympic Games that follow, then turned off in September, said BellSouth. BellSouth reported 3,000 users were active on the network at RCR press time.
BellSouth has deployed four digital 5ESS switches, five new macrocells and 105 microcells, including installation in hotels, Olympic Games venues and the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority stations. BellSouth said its upgraded infrastructure has increased its call-handling capacity by 800 percent in the Olympic Ring area and by 100 percent in north Georgia.
Lucent Technologies Inc. is providing BellSouth with 10 cells-on-wheels (COWS) that temporarily will be located at Lake Lanier for the rowing and kayaking events; Stone Mountain for cycling, tennis and archery; the Olympic Stadium; the University of Georgia Coliseum and Stadium; in the Georgia International Horse Park; Wolf Creek for the rifle events; and Atlanta Beach for beach volleyball. Sites have not been determined for the other two COWS, Lucent said. BellSouth also will deploy eight cells-on-light-trucks (COLTS) as needed.
Personal communications services provider Pacific Bell Mobile Services activated its Global System for Mobile communications digital network July 1 in preparation for the Republication Convention held Aug. 12 through Aug. 15 at the San Diego Convention Center.
Pacific Bell, the convention’s official wireless provider, said it has engineered the network to support a high volume of users.
“We’ve made special arrangements with the convention center to augment cell sites. The network and capacity in the convention center will be flawless,” said Al Feinman, project director for Pacific Bell.
Pacific Bell said it has created an island of cells used specifically for the convention. Coverage will include the convention center, downtown hotels, tourist attractions, the airport, major transportation corridors and the coastline. Pacific Bell plans to loan digital phones to key members of the Republican National Committee.
After the convention closes, the PCS provider will turn off the network to reoptimize it and prepare for a consumer product launch in California and Nevada in early 1997.
San Diego A-side cellular carrier GTE Mobilnet Inc. said it plans to create additional capacity by adding temporary cell sites, extra channels and a COLT. The carrier plans to loan phones to the Republican Host Committee.
The other cellular carrier, AirTouch Communications Inc., has increased both capacity and coverage in downtown San Diego and around the convention. The company said it has added cells and COWS. AirTouch also expects to donate phones to the host committee, delegates, members of the press and the California State Patrol.
Ameritech Cellular Services is the official wireless provider for the 1996 Democratic National Convention that will begin Aug. 26 and end Aug. 29 at the United Center in Chicago. Ameritech said its network already is optimized around the convention site, but the carrier plans to bolster capacity by adding COWS and perfecting routes from downtown to the convention center.
“Even though the network is enhanced in that part of town, we’ll still go the extra mile to meet the demand,” said Marybeth Johnson, Ameritech’s director of corporate communications. “We’ll make sure all hotel sites capacity will be met.”
Ameritech said it plans to rent handsets, pagers and prepaid calling cards. Some 20,000 phones and pagers should be available to the estimated 35,000 convention attendees.
Southwestern Bell Mobile Systems, operating as Cellular One in Chicago, said it expects to provide 100 digital phones complete with authentication features. Along with its analog network, the company operates a cellular digital network based on TDMA technology. Like Ameritech, SBC also has an extensive microcell system already in place in downtown and the convention center. The company plans to provide additional coverage by adding a COW close to the United Center.
