BASKING RIDGE, N.J.,
June 27, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- In
anticipation of record data usage by the tens of thousands of
visitors to this year's national political conventions, Verizon has
made significant enhancements to its network in the host cities and
convention facilities.
Experience the interactive Multimedia News Release here:
http://www.multivu.com/players/English/7814951-verizon-rnc-dnc-network/
"We know sharing the convention experience is important for
visitors to Cleveland and
Philadelphia so we have invested
millions of dollars and worked for several years on upgrading our
networks and adding capacity for these events," said Lynn Ramsey, Vice President Network Operations –
Verizon.
Enhancing the network in Cleveland, Ohio
When the Republican National Convention (RNC)
arrives in Cleveland July 18-21,
Verizon will have completed improvements to the city's #1 overall
network as rated by RootMetrics* in a recent Metro
Rootscore® report.
Verizon is doubling the network capacity to its neutral host
Distributed Antenna System (DAS) at Quicken Loans Arena, the main
convention facility. A DAS system consists of a series of smaller
antennas networked together throughout a venue. Specifically for
the RNC, new on-the-floor antenna sectors will be added to provide
coverage for delegates. Verizon's existing small cells covering the
surrounding areas – including the arena parking lots – were also
upgraded to double the network capacity.
New indoor wireless DAS systems were also installed at the
Cleveland Convention Center
(including the downtown Hilton Hotel), the Ritz Carlton, Tower City
Center and JACK Casino facilities. Network optimization and new
small cell sites will enhance Verizon's network peak speeds and
capacity in key convention areas, such as the Rock and Roll Hall of
Fame.
Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia
For the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Philadelphia on July
25-28, major upgrades to Verizon's networks in downtown
Philadelphia for the historic Pope
Francis visit in 2015 have remained in place. Network capacity was
quadrupled for the visit with upgrades including 11 miles of new
fiber optic cable, new cell sites and a system of small cells in
the downtown area, as well as capacity enhancements at the airport,
downtown hotels and SEPTA stations.
At the Wells Fargo Center, Verizon has installed a system to
improve capacity by more than 550 percent, which is equal to more
than six times greater capacity than before. Outside the center, a
temporary cell site known as a Cell on Wheels (COW) will add
capacity in Parking Lot E. To better serve surrounding parking
lots, additional small cells and network capacity have been added
at nearby Lincoln Financial Field.
Verizon has installed new fiber at multiple locations in
downtown Philadelphia, including
Independence Mall and The National Constitution Center, for use by
broadcast media covering the convention. New fiber was also added
to the Wells Fargo Center, doubling the capacity at the facility
for broadcast media and other connectivity needs.
Network monitoring and reliability
measures
Verizon will monitor network operations 24/7 at
both the RNC and DNC. Each convention will feature a special
command center that will house technicians and engineers who will
communicate directly with the public safety officials and
convention organizers in the case of severe weather or other
emergency.
Verizon prepares year-round with emergency response plans and
the network is engineered with reliability features such as on-site
back-up battery power at cell sites and generator capabilities in
the event of a service disruption.
A key contributor to Verizon's network success is its consistent
capital investment in its wireless network to lead in innovation
and stay ahead of customers' demands. Since 2000, Verizon has
invested more than $111 billion
across the U.S. to provide its customers with a reliable network
for voice calls, multimedia communication, media consumption and
interactive gaming.
*Ranking based on the RootMetrics® Cleveland RootScore® Report:
April 2016. Tested with best
commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks
across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The
RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of Verizon. Visit
www.rootmetrics.com for more details.
Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE, Nasdaq: VZ), headquartered in
New York City, generated nearly
$132 billion in 2015 revenues.
Verizon operates America's most reliable wireless network, with
112.6 million retail connections nationwide. 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: News releases, feature stories,
executive biographies and media contacts are available at Verizon's
online News Center at www.verizon.com/news/. News releases are also
available through an RSS feed. To subscribe, visit
www.verizon.com/about/rss-feeds/.
Media Contacts:
Chuck
Hamby
908-559-6673
Chuck.Hamby@vzw.com
Twitter:
@Chucktopia
Karen Smith
763-595-2511
Karen.Smith@vzw.com
Twitter: @my3screens
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SOURCE Verizon