As part of this, Extreme Networks is working with Verizon to help provide a seamless hand-off for Verizon customers between the company’s wireless network and in stadium Wifi network.
“Sporting events like the Super Bowl are about much more than the game – they’re about the experience,” said Norman Rice (pictured), chief operating officer, Extreme Networks. “And today the Super Bowl experience is more exciting and immersive than ever thanks to enabling technologies like Wi-Fi and 5G. The NFL has supercharged game-day experiences with cutting-edge digital advancements that are changing how we engage with our favourite teams. We’re proud to be a part of this as the Official Wi-Fi Solutions Provider for the seventh consecutive Super Bowl.”
The news follows last years’ Wifi usage that reached 24Tb of data transferred within the stadium, an increase of 47% from the previous NFL championship game. This year Extreme expects digital engagement at the Super Bowl to surpass those figures given the growing trends in social media usage and the growth in digital fan experiences like AR, VR and location-based offerings.
“The Super Bowl offers a once-in-a-lifetime moment for the teams playing, for the League, and most importantly – for the fans,” added Michelle McKenna, chief information officer, The National Football League. “Maximising the combined advancements in 5G and Wi-Fi, we plan to revolutionise what fans will experience at the stadium this year – from food and beverage, to ticketing, to the in-seat experience. These enabling technologies and new mobile applications will allow our fans to immerse themselves in next-gen game-day experiences like never before and we expect sky-high data consumption in Hard Rock Stadium.”
At the end of 2019, Extreme deployed a number of new capabilities for its Fabric Automation software part of its Extreme Data Center Fabric to augment enterprise IT teams and reduce human error.
