craig mathias
Principal

A Really, Really Big Wireless LAN: Gillette Stadium and the New England Patriots

Opinion
Nov 6, 20121 min

I recently had the opportunity to meet with key staff at Gillette Stadium to discuss how the New England Patriots are using Wi-Fi on a big – really big – scale, to address a correspondingly big – and important – opportunity. The result is a new Farpoint Focus video that you'll want to see.

I recently traveled down to Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, Massachusetts, to meet with a number of managers in the New England Patriots organization and talk about one of the largest, densest, and most mission-critical wireless-LAN installations that I’ve ever seen. Imagine on the order of 70,000 fans in the stands, with 10,000 or so of these simultaneously seeking information in real time via the stadium’s Wi-Fi network. And these are people you just can’t disappoint.

While enhancing the fan experience was the motivation, there’s a lot of very exciting technology at work here – over 300 APs, numerous intermediate racks of equipment-holding controllers and information appliances, and dense capacity implemented in large part through the use of directional antennas. But enough with the words – check out the new Farpoint Focus video I shot of all of this. I think you’ll find a lot of good information here even if you’re a fan of another team (and, of course, here in New England, that would be unthinkable…).

craig mathias

Craig J. Mathias is a principal with Farpoint Group, an advisory firm specializing in wireless networking and mobile computing. Founded in 1991, Farpoint Group works with technology developers, manufacturers, carriers and operators, enterprises, and the financial community. Craig is an internationally-recognized industry and technology analyst, consultant, conference speaker, author, columnist, and blogger. He regularly writes for Network World, CIO.com, and TechTarget. Craig holds an Sc.B. degree in Computer Science from Brown University, and is a member of the Society of Sigma Xi and the IEEE.

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