Jaguars get out of SignalShare deal, turn to PCM for EverBank Field Wi-Fi management

Pregame activity at EverBank Field last weekend. Credit: Jaguars.com.

Pregame activity at EverBank Field last weekend. Credit: Jaguars.com.

When Wi-Fi design and implementation firm SignalShare legally imploded earlier this year, one of the biggest questions that surfaced was — what would happen to teams and stadiums who had contracted with SignalShare to run their Wi-Fi networks? The Jacksonville Jaguars, who a couple years ago announced big plans with SignalShare, have gotten out of their contract with the now-bankrupt SignalShare and have turned to integrator PCM to manage the Wi-Fi network at EverBank Field, team officials said.

Mike Webb, director of IT with the Jaguars, said in a phone interview that the team was “able to terminate” its 3-year deal with SignalShare with help from Wi-Fi gear provider Extreme, which was part of the original deal. PCM has also teamed up with Extreme to run the Wi-Fi network at the Tennessee Titans’ Nissan Stadium. Neither SignalShare nor NFS Leasing has responded to any queries about the legal actions; Extreme Networks has also refused to comment on any specifics of any SignalShare-related deals.

While the original deal called for big plans to bring exclusive content to fans at EverBank Field via SignalShare’s portal software, Webb said that currently there is no stadium-specific or game-day app for Jaguars fans. He also said that Comcast sponsors the Wi-Fi connection (as it does at many other stadiums), with fans logging on by connecting to the xfintitywifi SSID.

Adding more APs for patios, new construction

Currently, EverBank Field has 650 Extreme Wi-Fi APs in the venue, with approximately 450 of those in the seating bowl, Webb said. Over the past offseason, the stadium added Wi-Fi coverage to five new areas, mainly patios outside club areas as well as to the South end zone tunnel, which will eventually connect to the theater that is being built outside the stadium.

For the lower level of seating, Webb said Wi-Fi APs are installed in railing enclosures, while higher-level seats are served by overhead mounts. While Webb said the network initially “had some issues” with 2.4 GHz band activity, the addition of more 5 GHz capacity helped to “vastly increase performance.” The Wi-Fi network now regularly sees 14,000 connections per game, Webb said.

More cellular capacity is also on the way to EverBank Field, as Webb said that two (unnamed) wireless carriers have agreed on a plan to build a DAS in the facility for outside seating coverage.

NFL Stadium Tech Reviews — AFC South

Editor’s note: The following team-by-team capsule reports of NFL stadium technology deployments are an excerpt from our most recent Stadium Tech Report, THE PRO FOOTBALL ISSUE. To get all the capsules in one place as well as our featured reports, interviews and analysis, download your free copy of the full report today.

AFC SOUTH

Reporting by Paul Kapustka

Screen Shot 2015-11-10 at 12.25.22 PM
Houston Texans
NRG Stadium
Seating Capacity: 71,054
Wi-Fi – No
DAS – Yes

With Super Bowl LI approaching in 2017, NRG Stadium is rumored to be (finally) getting Wi-Fi, with reports that the deployment will be led by 5 Bars and use gear from Ruckus Wireless; however none of this has yet been formally approved, so for now it’s another fall with no Wi-Fi at NRG.

Indianapolis Colts
Lucas Oil Stadium
Seating Capacity: 63,000
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

According to stats from this year’s Final Four basketball weekend, the Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity at Lucas Oil Stadium is working just fine, with just about 11 terabytes of traffic measured over the hoops-happy weekend. According to organizers, the stadium’s Wi-Fi carried more than 5 TB of traffic, which should prove stable enough for Colts fans this fall.

Jacksonville Jaguars
EverBank Field
Seating Capacity: 67,297
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – No

Jacksonville fans who are not inside one of the two pools at EverBank Field can use the free Wi-Fi provided by Extreme and SignalShare, with bandwidth provided by Comcast. EverBank also has Wi-Fi “coaches” to help fans connect to the network, reportedly wearing bright yellow hats.

Tennessee Titans
Nissan Stadium
Seating Capacity: 69,149
Wi-Fi – Yes
DAS – Yes

Another outfit by Extreme Networks, Titans fans are into the second year of stadium-wide Wi-Fi, at the newly named “Nissan Stadium” thanks to a sponsor change this summer.

Stadium Tech Report — NFL stadium technology reports — AFC South

Editor’s note: The following team-by-team capsule reports of NFL stadium technology deployments are an excerpt from our most recent Stadium Tech Report, THE FOOTBALL ISSUE. To get all the capsules in one place as well as our featured reports, interviews and analysis, download your free copy of the full report today.

AFC SOUTH

Reporting by Chris Gallo

Houston Texans
NRG Stadium
Seating Capacity: 71,054
Wi-Fi – No
DAS-No
Beaconing – No

The Houston Texans have lots of holes to fill after a 2-14 season last year. Is a new coach, the number one draft pick to play alongside J.J. Watt, and one of best wideouts and running backs in the game a recipe for success in 2014? We’ll see. One area that won’t improve in 2014 is stadium connectivity. With no Wi-Fi, Texans fans will struggle to check their fantasy stats at games.

Indianapolis Colts

Lucas Oil Stadium
Seating Capacity: 63,000
Wi-Fi-Yes
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

After an exciting home playoff win last season, Colts fans are ready for another promising year. Lucas Oil Stadium enters its sixth season and another year with Wi-Fi upgrades. The facility is another beneficiary of hosting a recent Super Bowl, which brings lots of carrier spending to ensure a quality experience for the big game. There are no specifics on access points or DAS antennas, but the organization is encouraging fans to test the upgrades by watching the last play, checking the latest stats, and sharing photos with friends. Indianapolis is doing everything to make Lucas Oil Stadium the best place to catch the Colts on Sunday.

Jacksonville Jaguars
EverBank Field
Seating Capacity: 67,297
Wi-Fi-Yes
DAS-No
Beaconing – No

Any guesses where the largest video boards are in the world? That’s right. EverBank Field in Jacksonville. The Jaguars installed two video boards that showcase almost 22,000 (!) square feet of digital canvas. The video boards are the highlight of a $63 million dollar renovation to the stadium that also includes not just one – but two swimming pools. Yes, a pool. And cabanas. The Jaguars are teaming up with Extreme Networks and SignalShare to deliver Wi-Fi access to fans for this season. No DAS yet, but expect more upgrades to follow soon at EverBank.

Tennessee Titans
LP Field
Seating Capacity: 69,149
Wi-Fi-Yes
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

Another outfit by Extreme Networks, Titans fans will be able to connect this fall to Wi-Fi at LP Field. It’s a major upgrade from years past, as new owner Tommy Smith continues to deliver on his promise of changes to the organization. The Wi-Fi was expected to be in full use for all home games this NFL season.

Extreme, SignalShare team up for Wi-Fi deployment at Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Field

Screen Shot 2014-08-08 at 1.24.04 AMExtreme Networks and SignalShare are teaming up to bring a full-featured Wi-Fi deployment to the Jacksonville Jaguars’ EverBank Field for the coming NFL season, in what is perhaps a sign that teams may already be seeking more than just pure connectivity when it comes to putting Wi-Fi in stadiums. In a press release Friday (which was actually pre-announced by the Jaguars on Wednesday), the companies said they have entered into a strategic partnership that will bring both high-density Wi-Fi as well as advanced analytics and network-monetization opportunities to the Jaguars and their 67,246-seat stadium in Jacksonville, Fla.

Extreme is no stranger to the NFL, with deployments of its “IdentiFi” Wi-Fi gear and analytics software already working at the New England Patriots’ Gillette Stadium and at the Philadelphia Eagles’ Lincoln Financial Field. Last month, Extreme announced it would be the primary provider of Wi-Fi services for the Tennessee Titans’ LP Field.

But at Jacksonville, Extreme will be partnering with the much smaller SignalShare, a Raleigh, N.C., concern that has both Wi-Fi integration and deployment expertise, as well as an “audience engagement platform” called “Live-Fi” that the company says “leverages real-time analytics and dynamic messaging to deliver location-aware customized content – including offers, discounts and call-to-actions – to attendees’ mobile devices during events.” SignalShare says it has systems at work for sports clients including the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets, and Indiana Pacers, and has also deployed its systems at other large venues and events, including the U.S. Open tennis tournament and several large outdoor concert venues.

New huge video boards at EverBank Field

New huge video boards at EverBank Field

New network, huge video boards… and pools!

Even though much of the sports-tech world is watching the San Francisco 49ers’ technology deployments at the brand-new Levi’s Stadium, the combination of the Extreme/SignalShare network and other enhancements like the two new humongous LED screens at EverBank (and perhaps the two pool party areas) may make the Jaguars’ stadium another tech jewel in the NFL realm. To us the most interesting part of the partnership is its potential to empower network monetization schemes, either through targeted mobile-ad insertions, or some deeper analytic- or location-based network awareness. Though many stadium deals typically involve multiple “silent” partners who do lots of work with little to no public recognition, the very public announcement of this partnership also shows perhaps a maturation of the industry at large in allowing credit (and profits!) to be more equally shared. Let’s see what happens in the near future, eh?

We’ll do our best to get a deeper profile of the hows and whys of the deployment in the near future, but for now some bullet points from the press release should help get the conversation started. According to Extreme and SignalShare, here are some of the key points about the coming deployment:

● Extreme Networks and SignalShare will install the 802.11ac high-density IdentiFi Wireless solution for outdoor venues to provide Wi-Fi access free of charge to all fans at EverBank Field.
● The Extreme Wi-Fi system is designed to allow fans at EverBank Field, which has a seating capacity of over 67,000, the bandwidth to concurrently access and use multimedia applications without interruption.
● Extreme Networks technology will power a dedicated social hub and moderated social feed that will display relevant content from Instagram and Twitter.
● SignalShare’s LiveFi digital network enables the Jaguars to engage and monetize fans by pushing targeted in-browser messaging and advertising to their mobile devices.
● SignalShare is providing the Jaguars consulting and project management for the overall networking deployment, optimization and support.
● Extreme Networks is commitment to enhancing the in-stadium experience for fans and the critical role big data and analytics play in delivering on that goal for today’s highly connected fans.

Party on at the EverBank pools!

Party on at the EverBank pools!

What will be interesting to see is whether or not the Wi-Fi network will extend beyond stadium boundaries (to parking lots and other outside areas), whether it will handle the “overflow” events like the Georgia-Florida game (which can push attendance into the 82,000 mark with temporary seats) and how if at all the Jaguars’ team app will incorporate the new connectivity. (And, what about the DAS deployment?) If any Jags fans have a preseason field report from using the network at EverBank (which we expect has probably already been in operation in some areas) please let us know… and send along any SpeedTest results as well!

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