In 2016, the Sacramento Kings opened their new home, Golden 1 Center, with an emphasis on technology. As we found in our visit, the cellular distributed antenna system (DAS) and Wi-Fi were first-rate in performance. In a recent phone interview with John Rinehart, president of business operations for the team, he said that all wireless […]
Shift4 buys VenueNext for $72 million
Shift4, a provider of integrated payment processing for a wide range of industries including retail, hospitality and lodging, has purchased stadium app provider VenueNext for $72 million to jump-start a bigger move into the large public venue marketplace. According to press materials released by Shift4, the acquisition “significantly expands Shift4’s presence in large and growing […]
From the archives: Orlando Magic will use Wi-Fi to improve connections with fans (2014)
Back in 2014, AmpThink made its public debut as innovators in the high-density Wi-Fi market. While AmpThink had previously participated in several Mobile Network Operator (“MNO”) driven projects including two Super Bowls, the network at the Amway Center was the first project where AmpThink worked for the venue owner. The outcome was a long term […]
Extreme Networks to provide Wi-Fi 6 to 16 Major League Baseball stadiums
In one of the biggest sports-venue Wi-Fi deals ever, Major League Baseball said it has selected Extreme Networks as its new “official Wi-Fi solutions provider,” a deal that will see Extreme Wi-Fi 6 gear being deployed in at least 16 MLB venues, beginning with the Boston Red Sox’s Fenway Park. In an announcement today, Extreme […]
Super Bowl LV Wi-Fi: Low total, but per-fan usage remains steady
Thanks to the reduced crowd size due to the Covid pandemic, the total Wi-Fi data used at Super Bowl LV was well below previous years’ numbers — but the data used per device was nearly equal to last year’s number, showing that fans are still using their devices at the “big game” with gusto. Because […]
Smaller crowd leads to smaller cellular numbers at Super Bowl LV
With limited attendance due to the Covid pandemic, the best bet on Super Bowl LV was that the fans’ wireless traffic usage totals — which in past history have only gone up every year — would be diminished from previous events. And even as the carriers continue to report numbers with parameters that make them […]
