A year ago, folks who run the Charlotte Panthers’ Bank of America Stadium were telling us how much the fans there liked the Wi-Fi network installed by AT&T. It’s possible Panthers fans like it even more now, with 185 new Wi-Fi access points to help improve coverage.
We haven’t talked to anyone in Charlotte this time around, but a press release from AT&T shares some interesting stats about wireless usage at BofA Stadium. According to AT&T, so far this season fans in Charlotte have sent 1.9 million MB across the Wi-Fi stadium network, 50 percent more data than during the same period in 2012. And the in-stadium DAS usage grew even more, by 90 percent compared to a year ago, according to AT&T.
What does that mean for stadium owners and operators? It may simply mean that whatever loads you think you are designing for, design for more. If AT&T and the Panthers had to go from 460 APs to 645 in less than a year, that’s a good sign that stadium Wi-Fi networks are like Fields of Dreams: If you build it, they will come, and they will download.
Great news for Bank of America Stadium. With the Panthers as a legit contender, attendance is certainly up and adding better connectivity will make the live experience better. The growth is staggering, more stadiums must adopt this kind of thinking.