Although only two teams will line up on the field Sunday for the grand culmination of the professional football season, multiple players will participate in Super Bowl XXXIX in one wireless capacity or another.
- Verizon Wireless upgraded cell sites and installed a pair of cell sites on wheels near Jacksonville, Fla.’s Alltel Stadium ahead of the game. The carrier said the COWs are equipped with eight voice channels, an expanded high-speed data channel and a tower that telescopes up to 120 feet and can simultaneously handle hundreds of phone calls and data transmissions.
- Rural wireless provider Cellular South will debut a new television commercial during the game. The carrier said this was the fifth year it has advertised during the Super Bowl through a local and regional ad buy, and that the commercial will air on Fox Network affiliates in a number of Southeast markets. The voiceover states, “The world is full of things to talk about. Which is why we give you the freedom to talk about all of them.”
- Football fans can make Super Bowl bets on their handsets with an updated application from offshore gaming company BetWWTS.com. The company launched a new version of its wireless sports bookmaking service, which it said is compatible with every wireless network standard. The application supports platforms including Windows Mobile Pocket PC, PalmOS, Symbian OS, Windows Mobile Smartphone, Research In Motion Ltd., and Java and browser-enabled phones.
- In-building wireless company MobileAccess Networks deployed a multi-service wireless system at Alltel Stadium for the event. The network supports Wi-Fi technology as well as Nextel and Sprint PCS handsets. This marks the second consecutive year MobileAccess has deployed a wireless network for the NFL championship game-last year, the company deployed service at Houston’s Reliant Stadium.
- Football fans can vote for their favorite commercials using their mobile phones with a service provided by American Online Inc. Users can register for the poll by texting the word “vote” to short code 46265 before the game and receive voting reminders during the matchup. Each vote cost users 50 cents. Messaging company Mobile 365 powers the service.
- Mobile publisher THQ Wireless Inc. allows fans to vote for a most valuable player during the Super Bowl by teaming with Players Inc., the licensing arm of the NFL Players Association, to encourage spectators to tout their choices via text messaging. Minick USA, THQ’s messaging division, powers the cross-carrier offering.
- Motorola will provide end-to-end wireless networking for all media personnel who cover the Super Bowl. More than 3,000 members of the press will use the enterprise-class Wi-Fi network set up throughout the stadium, including the media center at the Prime Osborn Convention Center, the Alltel Stadium press box and the auxiliary press area.
Motorola also engaged in an extensive branding campaign in Jacksonville for the event with high-visibility street signage on Bay Street, mobile marketing vehicles and street teams sporting special offers and product demonstrations of the Moto RAZR V3 and V710 phones, along with Bluetooth headsets and the Ojo Personal Videophone.
