US network equipment vendor CommScope and UK neutral host provider Boldyn Networks have deployed Wi-Fi 7 indoor access points in selected areas of the 65,000-seat Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida. They have claimed a 60 percent jump in Wi-Fi throughput, reaching 900Mbps, compared to Wi-Fi 6E; the throughput acceleration is four-times compared to older generations of Wi-Fi, they said. Latency has reduced by 75 percent.
CommScope and Boldyn said Camping World Stadium, which hosts sports and entertainment events, has been able to introduce new use cases as a consequence, including augmented reality (AR) services, social and other unspecified “fan experiences”, and the ability to order food, drink, and merchandise directly to seats. A study from Boldyn says 81 percent of event-goers would spend more on concessions and merchandise if ordering were simpler.
The initial Wi-Fi 7 upgrade is in the press and VIP areas. The project uses RUCKUS R770 Wi-Fi access points from CommScope. CommScope, via RUCKUS NETWORKS, is also supplying its RUCKUS AI cloud management service to raise resiliency in the Wi-Fi 7 network. The combo provides “key information to operators, improves network visibility, speeds up problem solving, [and] meets service level agreements (SLAs),” said CommScope in a statement.
Christos Karmis, chief executive at Boldyn in the US, said: “Wi-Fi 7 is the next wave in wireless technology, and we are proud to have delivered it to Camping World Stadium recently. This unlocks tremendous opportunities for an evolved fan experience. With its superior speed, capacity, reliability and low latency, Wi-Fi 7 will undoubtedly revolutionize the way fans engage and experience games and events at Camping World Stadium.”
Bart Giordano, president and senior vice president of networking and security at CommScope, said: “RUCKUS R770 Wi-Fi 7 indoor access points deliver a significant leap forward in stadium connectivity offering ultra-fast, low latency wireless connections with improved capacity and efficiency to support high-demand applications, and it is the perfect solution to delight fans. We have delivered the first enterprise-class, AI-driven Wi-Fi 7 solution on the market.”
