Stadium Tech Report — NFL stadium technology reports — AFC West

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 WEST

Reporting by Chris Gallo

Denver Broncos
Sports Authority Field at Mile High
Seating Capacity: 76,125
Wi-Fi-Yes
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

When Sports Authority Field at Mile High is at full capacity (76,125) on game days, the stadium is the 14th largest city in Colorado. And it’s a well-connected one too. Because the Denver Broncos deliver TE Connectivity DAS and a Verizon-built Wi-Fi network to the stadium. On the Wi-Fi side, Sprint should be joining this season, allowing its customers to join Verizon’s with free Wi-Fi access. Verizon, which has added Wi-Fi APs in strategic spots around the facility, has also added an additional 180 DAS antennas to its network. AT&T customers use a separate DAS at Sports Authority, and Sprint is also adding to its DAS deployment with more antennas.

Kansas City Chiefs
Arrowhead Stadium
Seating Capacity: 76,416
Wi-Fi – Yes, 600+ access points
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

On a quest to challenge the HD experience at home, Chiefs president Mark Donovan delivered Wi-Fi and a mobile app to Arrowhead Stadium last season. Chiefs fans will continue to be able to share status updates and check fantasy lineups on game days in 2014. Let’s see if the support helps Kansas City make the playoffs for consecutive seasons for the first time since 1994-1995.

Oakland Raiders
O.Co Coliseum
Seating Capacity: 56,057
Wi-Fi – No
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

The Raiders enter 2014 seeking their first winning season in over a decade. The fans will have to cheer their team on without Wi-Fi for another year at O.Co Coliseum. Despite being available for A’s fans, when the stadium capacity increases by almost 20,000 people for football, Raiders faithful are left without any access.

San Diego Chargers
Qualcomm Stadium
Seating Capacity: 70,561
Wi-Fi – No
DAS-Yes
Beaconing – No

The stadium that’s named after the wireless giant remains a mystery. Because Wi-Fi in Qualcomm Stadium, a facility whose sponsor’s fortunes come mainly from the sale of wireless-phone silicon, is still absent. The stadium that hosted the Super Bowl over a decade ago does have DAS antennas courtesy of AT&T for improved cell coverage.