HOUSTON, Feb. 10, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Football fans
gobbled up a record amount of wireless data at Super Bowl 50 in
San Francisco – and that has the
Verizon team in Houston already
gearing up for next year's big game. Fans at Levi's Stadium
used nearly 7 terabytes of data this past Sunday on the Verizon
network during the Super Bowl – that's more than 30 times the
amount consumed just four years ago. With data usage
projected to continue to rise, the Houston network team has been busy at work to
prepare for an even bigger challenge next year.
A contingent of network engineers from the Houston area were at Super Bowl 50 last week,
monitoring and assessing how and when Verizon's network reacted to
the unprecedented demand for wireless data from customers. They
will now use those key learnings to help improve the fan experience
for next year's championship game.
NRG Stadium and Tailgating Area
Fans at NRG Stadium
will be able to enjoy more speed and power on their wireless
devices during game day than ever before – Verizon already has
invested more than $40 million to
construct and activate a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) and
utilize XLTE network capacity gains there. The system consists of
783 antennas placed strategically throughout the facility, designed
to increase capacity by four times the previous system. With this
new wireless infrastructure, more users will be able to share
photos, download content, send messages, surf the internet and use
other applications at faster peak speeds than before.
In addition, Verizon's network team deployed an Outdoor
Distributed Antenna System (ODAS) in the parking lot and tailgating
areas of NRG to boost capacity and enhance fans' wireless
experience before and after the game.
Downtown and Other Areas of Interest in Houston
Downtown Houston will host the NFL Experience
and Super Bowl Central, so Verizon engineers have been designing
and planning for the deployment of 200+ small cell solutions, 30+
new macro cell sites, and 50+ in building solutions for hotels,
concert venues, convention facilities and visitor attractions in
downtown, Galleria, and many other strategic areas of Houston. Verizon is planning various solutions
for areas such as the Medical Center, the Museum District, the
Theater District, and The
Woodlands as well as several shopping malls throughout
Houston including the Galleria
Mall so visitors that come to the game can enjoy all that
Houston has to offer.
Houston Airports
For the 41 million visitors being
serviced through Bush International Airport, Verizon will be adding
capacity on the network using PCS spectrum in addition to the DAS
already in place there. At Hobby airport, a new DAS system
will allow travelers to check arrival and departure times, connect
with loved ones and pass the terminal wait time with streaming
entertainment over the lightning fast 4G LTE network.
2016 will bring additional enhancements and capital spending
throughout the Houston market that
will not only benefit Houston for
Super Bowl 51, but will benefit customers living in and traveling
to Houston well into the
future.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ) employs a diverse
workforce of 177,700 and generated nearly $132 billion in 2015 revenues. Verizon operates
America's most reliable wireless network, with more than 112
million retail connections nationwide. Headquartered in
New York, the company also
provides communications and entertainment services over America's
most advanced fiber-optic network, and delivers integrated business
solutions to customers worldwide.
VERIZON'S ONLINE NEWS CENTER: Verizon news releases, executive
speeches and biographies, media contacts and other information are
available at Verizon's online News Center at www.verizon.com/news/.
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visit www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.
Media contact:
Karen
Schulz
864-987-2006
Karen.Schulz@verizonWireless.com
Twitter: @VZWKarenS
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SOURCE Verizon