CASE Study
Out-of-Sight Wireless Performance
When TD Garden—home to Boston’s legendary hockey and basketball teams—wanted to deliver Wi-Fi connectivity to tens of thousands of sports fans and concert goers, they needed a wireless network capable of delivering championship-caliber performance. That’s why they engaged the networking experts at PC Connection, Inc. Working closely with Cisco and TD Garden IT staff, the PC Connection team designed and built one of the most innovative stadium Wi-Fi solutions in the industry.
TD Garden’s existing network couldn’t provide the access they needed to support the facility’s wide range of events and services. A Wi-Fi network offered some coverage for offices and vendor shops, but the main area had limited connectivity for fans who came to enjoy hockey and basketball games, concerts, or headline acts. TD Garden wanted to build a platform that would engage guests and deliver an interactive experience that enabled them to get the most out of their visit.
Complementing TD Garden’s recent deployment of a Cisco StadiumVision video and digital content distribution solution, a new facility-wide Cisco Connected Stadium Wi-Fi solution would help fans experience their favorite teams and artists in greater depth. It would also serve as a way for TD Garden to learn more about the features and services that visitors wanted. Using digital signage, interactive directories, and powerful analytic tools, TD Garden could learn how guests moved through the venue and what they were looking for. The wireless network had to enable the next-generation technologies TD Garden wanted to deploy today, and the innovative services they wanted to offer down the road.
Beyond providing a better fan experience and reliable, high-speed performance, the new Wi-Fi solution had to stand up to physical demands of the multi-use stadium. In any given week, the venue could host a hockey game, a basketball game, or a major performing artist. Whether a parquet floor went down, a stage went up, or ice covered the arena, the Wi-Fi had to perform flawlessly and deliver 100% coverage to every seat in the house. And, as with any public space, the entire network infrastructure had to be hidden in plain sight—preventing costly damage to equipment and preserving open, unobstructed views of that night’s entertainment.
A NEXT-GENERATION FAN EXPERIENCE
TD Garden Arena-Wide Wi-Fi Deployment CALL IN THE EXPERTS
While the TD Garden’s extremely knowledgeable IT staff knew what they wanted from their wireless network investment, they didn’t have the in-house resources to tackle some of the unique challenges associated with such a large-scale project. Engaging the PC Connection team for a baseline assessment helped them understand the capabilities and limitations of their existing network infrastructure and how the addition of wireless would affect performance. The team brought in battery- powered Access Points (APs) and a fleet of tools to perform radio frequency analysis and test signal strength throughout the upper and lower levels of the arena, mapping obstructions and pinpointing problem areas row by row. Based on the results of PC Connection’s assessment and Wireless Site Survey, the team had the information they needed to create a Wi-Fi design that delivered the coverage and performance TD Garden wanted to provide for their guests.
A FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS
Throughout the assessment phase, the PC Connection team collaborated closely with the customer to understand all of their requirements, concerns, and goals. The team evaluated TD Garden’s existing infrastructure and made recommendations for improvements in a phased approach. “Based on the analysis we did in our assessment, we identified a need for TD Garden to build out some of their access layer—their network switches—to support the wireless deployment,” said Tim Allen, Director of PC Connection, Inc.’s Networking Practice. “We worked with their organization to identify where there was a need for more robust switching technology, and how that technology would build out a capability for trunking, supporting the back end and the back haul to their core infrastructure.” This roadmap helped TD Garden understand how to progress from their current infrastructure through the adoption of an enhanced wireless solution, and how their network would support future expansion.
PROJECT DESIGN WITH UNBEATABLE ATTENTION TO DETAIL
With firm deadlines for opening day of hockey season and booked concert dates, the deployment had to be flawless —and timed to perfection. Once the infrastructure was
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