MSR Profile: San Francisco Giants, AT&T Continue to Push the Wireless Envelope at AT&T Park

It’s fun to look back at the news from 2004 to see just how novel an idea it was to put a Wi-Fi network into a ballpark. “SBC Park a hot spot for fans lugging laptops,” said an article in the San Francisco Chronicle, complete with a photo of a fan hunched over a laptop. According to the story, some 200 fans per game might have used the network right after it was launched. Woo-hoo!

Fast forward to 2012, and here are some eye-popping stats from a recent Giants homestand against the Cubs: According to the Giants and AT&T, at one game there were 10,000 fans using the stadium’s Wi-Fi network, and another 10,000 connecting via the various cellular antennas — all using a data app, not even counting phone calls. Still think this is just something for power geeks trying to program in between innings? Or has the wireless fan finally become mainstream?

As impressive as those totals are, what’s a more compelling story is the fact that the Giants and AT&T were ready for that bandwidth demand, with a layered cellular and Wi-Fi network that overdelivers, instead of dropping connections. Why did they put the network in, and how did they make it a success — and a role model for stadiums and teams everywhere? To get the answer to those questions, Mobile Sports Report recently spent a couple hours at the ballpark with Bill Schlough, senior vice president and chief information officer for the San Francisco Giants Baseball Club, and Terry Stenzel, vice president and general manager for Northern California and Reno for AT&T, to hear about lessons learned and where wireless and sports are headed in the future.

The Super-Connected Fans of San Francisco and Silicon Valley

Back when AT&T was still known as SBC, the ballpark with its name seemed as likely a place as any to put in a wireless network. Though it wasn’t even the first in the Bay area — Candlestick Park, former home of the Giants and still host to the football 49ers, had some limited wireless access back in 2000 thanks to then-stadium-naming sponsor 3Com — the network that went live at the China Basin ballpark in 2004 was well received by the wired constituents of the greater SF Bay area. After all, this was Silicon Valley — where folks didn’t mind going to Best Buy to get a wireless LAN card to put in a PCMCIA slot.

The Giants' Bill Schlough, in orange shirt, talks about stadium Wi-Fi. Credit: John Britton, AT&T.

For the Giants and Schlough, every year afterward it became apparent that the initial outlay of 121 Wi-Fi access points wasn’t going to be enough. The 50 bearded guys with laptops from the Valley became a few hundred a night, then pushed into the thousands. By 2010, the network-use number was up to 3,300 per game, with no end in sight to its growth.

“I point to the fans” when asked about where the vision for the network comes from, said Schlough. “In any other city it’d probably be different — anywhere else is probably a couple years behind [in network demand]. Fans here are making it apparent that if they can’t stay connected they’re going to stay home. What we need to do is stay one step ahead.”

Lately, that means staying ahead by blending cellular and Wi-Fi networks, using a “layered” approach that improves not only Wi-Fi coverage inside the stadium, but also reception for 2G, 3G and 4G LTE cell phones. It even means reaching out to rival Verizon Wireless, which is in the process of attaching its own wireless services to the Giants’ stadium network, so that Verizon customers can enjoy improved coverage just like AT&T customers do when in their seats. Even with network loads of 20,000 combined users, the Giants and AT&T right now seem like they’re ahead of the technology curve; but even fairly recently, that wasn’t always the case. Take the start of the 2009 season, when the network became, as AT&T’s Stenzel said, “an absolute disaster.”

A Network Brought to its Knees — by Apps and the iPhone

Perhaps fueled by the twin arrivals in 2008 of the iPhone 3G and the accompanying Apple Appstore, the fan demand for in-stadium bandwidth completely overwhelmed the AT&T Park network at the start of the 2009 season, an epic fail that was quickly noticed by many. The surge in wireless data demand — which also caught AT&T by surprise at that year’s South by Southwest Interactive conference, where iPhones and Twitter brought the network in Austin to a halt — was a harbinger of the future, forcing cellular providers everywhere to scramble to upgrade their networks.

AT&T VP Terry Stenzel points to a Wi-Fi antenna inside a suite at AT&T Park. Credit: John Britton, AT&T.

While Schlough and AT&T responded by doing what they could to fine tune and increase wireless bandwidth, the duo also started installing what is known in the cellular industry as DAS — short for Distributed Antenna System, basically an array of small cellular antennas that improve coverage by bringing the wireless signal closer to the customer. For AT&T Park, that means as close as inside the hallway of the stadium’s suite level, where DAS antennas disguised by small plastic inverted cones keep the well-heeled fans and their inevitable iPhones connected to the outside world.

The DAS antennas help provide what Schlough and Stenzel call their “layered” approach to wireless connectivity, meaning that a blend of Wi-Fi and improved cellular is the best way to achieve the highest level of connectivity. With a layered approach, some fans can use the Wi-Fi network while others use the cellular network — hopefully, using the best signal where it is available.

“The stadium is the perfect example of what’s going on in the outside world,” said AT&T’s Stenzel, whose company of late is investing heavily in both DAS and Wi-Fi for public hotspots in cities, big buildings and campuses to offload some of its cellular-network demand. “You can’t build a network with Wi-Fi only or [4G] LTE only. You need layers of technology.”

The Giants' Bill Schlough in front of some hard-working wireless network hardware. Credit: John Britton, AT&T.

“Cellular sometimes flows better around obstacles or people,” Schlough said. And he should know, since he said he’s always finding new ways to improve the network.

“Thank god we’re not football,” said Schlough. “This isn’t something that you plug it in and it works. We have 81 games a season here, and every day we’re learning something.”

Trials, Errors, and ‘Leaky Coax’

For Giants fans or even other visitors, Schlough has a wireless quest: “I’d challenge anyone to walk in here and find 100 antennas,” he said. With 334 Wi-Fi access points and 196 additional DAS antennas scattered about that seems like it might be easy. But even certified network geeks probably couldn’t spot the DAS antenna that Schlough said was in plain sight, providing access to the outdoor seats on the suite level.

Can you spot the DAS antenna? Look inside the pipe. Credit: Paul Kapustka, MSR.

While your reporter valiantly looked for a telltale wireless box, it was in vain. Schlough finally solved the puzzle by turning us around and pointing at a black-painted conduit pipe just above the seagull net — inside which Schlough said was some leaky coax, or partially unshielded networking cable that allows a signal to pass through parts of its length, in essence acting as a long, thin “antenna.”

“You’ve got to get creative” to solve stadium networking problems, said Schlough, whose team needed to point Wi-Fi antennas upward to serve three rows of upper-deck seats that are located in front of a thick concrete wall. In some parts of the stadium, Wi-Fi antennas are painted dark green to match the stadium metalwork. In the suites, Wi-Fi antennas are tucked into plastic housings that look like smoke detectors, and some DAS antennas are inside small inverted plastic cones — all painted the same color as the ceilings to blend in like wireless chameleons.

“The biggest challenge may be in hiding all the wires” connecting the antennas, Stenzel said. “Nobody wants to see wires hanging down in a stadium.”

One App Will Rule Them All — Unless the Giants get to Tinker

Perhaps the only place where Schlough, the Giants and AT&T have had to take a step backwards — our opinion, not theirs — is on the application side. Until last year, the Giants led in the app innovation arena as well, with a service called “Digital Dugout” which provided lots of AT&T-specific information, like park maps, food ordering, and extended Giants video highlights, among other features. But as part of Major League Baseball the Giants are now in lockstep with the rest of the league and only offer MLB.com’s AtBat app as the in-game app of choice — a strategic move made by the league last year to increase the profitability of its flagship online app and service.

The white inverted cone? A DAS antenna in the AT&T Park suite level hallway. Credit: Paul Kapustka, MSR.

“When we were building the network up and had 3,300 users per game in 2010, there was nobody else doing what we did, and nobody had an eye on us,” Schlough said. Now, with in-game network usage nearing 30 percent plus, the moneymen of baseball aren’t just looking at in-stadium apps, they already have a strategy to put a network in every stadium, and get every fan there using AtBat. What Schlough hopes is that MLB will let teams leverage and add their own features and garlic-fries flavor to the AtBat app, an idea that hasn’t yet reached any conclusion.

“We’re working with MLB to see if we can add any [local] functionality to AtBat,” Schlough said. “We’re the first team to dip our toes into that water.”

Internally, the Giants have become big wireless users themselves. According to Schlough the team now uses its wireless network to run tasks like ticketing, some concession kiosks, the media needs and digital message boards. That’s probably why the team now has two full network-operation rooms in the bowels of AT&T Park, crammed with every flavor of telecom gear from 2G, 3G and 4G cellular to Wi-Fi controllers and a whole assortment of Internet routers, servers and other associated rack-mounted hardware sporting the logos of companies like Cisco, Juniper, Dell and HP.

Can you see the Wi-Fi antenna? It's the green box on the left with two tubes. Credit: Paul Kapustka, MSR.

But after spending some $10 million to build the network over time — a cost shared by the Giants and AT&T, whose unique relationship is intertwined in the stadium sponsorship — in the end, it’s about the fan experience and ensuring fans stay for the experience that keeps Schlough, Stenzel and their teams running to stay in the lead.

“The most common app we see used at the games is maps,” said Stenzel. “It’s all about, ‘where am I going from here,’ for dinner or drinks. A ballgame is a social event, a fan experience that you’re going to remember.”

As long as you stay — and stay connected, that is.

“Now if the DAS goes down, people leave,” Schlough said. And you get the feeling that he was only half joking.

Mobile Sports Report TechWatch: Does Your Computer Have Malware?

FBI helping to block malware
An international hacker has apparently infected and taken control of a host of computers around the globe using an advertising scam to lure people into going to a site that downloaded the malware. When the hackers were arrested the infected systems still operated thanks to the use of government servers that replaced the crooks systems.

That program will be shut down in July and when it does and your system is infected you will find a ‘page not found’ alert when you try to access the internet. You can go here to have your system tested.

Amazon’s Kindle touch 3G is here
Apparently a week earlier than expected the Amazon touch 3G has started shipping out to customers around the world. The $149 e-reader stands apart from other offerings from Amazon and others in that it provides free 3G connectivity on a global basis. Users do not need to sign up for a plan with a carrier or add service on an existing plan to get the wireless capability.

Verizon to introduce multi-device plan this summer
Verizon dropped some good news to owners of multiple devices that can access the Internet wirelessly- it is developing a plan that will allow customers to bundle all of the devices under one roof rather than be forced to have a plan for each device.

This will appeal to people that own both a tablets and a smartphones and can now have all of the data on a single plan. Verizon now joins T-Mobile and Sprint in offering this capability. I suspect that this will be a boon for tablet makers as it removes a barrier to acceptance of these devices.

Smartphone compatible watch draws big interest from investors
The Pebble, a watch that can wirelessly connect to an iPhone has been getting tremendous play from backers via Kickstarter. If you are not familiar with Kickstarter it is a place to raise funding by setting a level that you need and then hoping that enough individuals or larger investment groups promise funding. If you do not reach your goal you get nothing.

Anyway Pebble was seeking $100,000 and so far has raised $1.5 million and growing. Early investors, for a set sum, get a slight discount on one of the watches. The Pebble can support multiple apps and operating systems and communicates with the smartphone via Bluetooth. A similar technology is used in rival products such as the Garmin S3 Golf Watch, among others.

A Crab Computer?

Author Sir. Terry Pratchett has developed computer that runs on ants in several of his Discworld novels, and now it appears that Japanese scientists have taken it one better and developed one that runs on crabs.

Maybe runs on crabs is a bit too inexact, let’s say that live crabs are used as logic gates in the system developed by scientists at Kobe University. I wonder how you go to get a project like this funded? Hey I think crabs are better then microcircuits and they have less gate leakage? Anyway drop over to Gizmag and see if you can figure out what they did.

Research-in-Motion hires firm for restructuring help
RIM, the company that makes the BlackBerry has hired the law firm Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCoy LLP to develop a restructuring plan for the company according to Yahoo! News. RIM is looking at a variety of options including the possibility that it might sell off some of its assets, developing joint ventures or engage in the very popular patent sell off.


Gemini Devices delivers inexpensive tablets-in UK market

While there is a growing wave of high end tablets, and two more are expected this week, there are alternatives for users that have simpler needs or a constrained pocketbook, and Gemini Devices is looking to meet your needs.

The company offers a series of JoyTAB tablets that include two 10-inch models, a 7-inch and an 8-inch JoyTAB. They have last generation technology for the most part, with single core CPUs and lower resolution screens than what are coming out now. The do have the latest version of the Android operating system, v 4.0 aka Ice Cream Sandwich.

With a starting price of around $200 for the 7-inch color model they might make a good solution for users that have simpler needs than the users that want/need all the bells and whistles associated with the iPads and others of that ilk.

Xtex has an even less expensive Tablet-and lackluster reviews
The $200 JoyTAB too rich for your blood? Well there is the $150 Xtex My Tablet 7, a 7-inch color tablet that also uses older technology to hit a low price point. The tablet includes a single core processor and has an 800 x 480 pixel resolution. Chris Burns at Slashgear has taken one for a test ride and warns that you will get what you pay for.

LiveU’s New Cellular TV Camera Modem Passes Super Bowl Test; LiveEdge Still MIA

LiveU's belt-sized modem in action at the Super Bowl. Credit: LiveU

Mobile TV camera modem supplier LiveU said Wednesday that its new belt-sized cellular modem was used for live camera shots at the Super Bowl in February, according to a press release issued by the company. We here at Mobile Sports Report expect cellular cameras to be a big thing going forward, to enable more sports content live from where it happens without the expense of a satellite truck.

While LiveU has done the mobile/cellular thing before for sports its previous solutions were backpack-based to house the equipment that included modems and batteries. The newer LU40i unit, the company said, weighs in at around a pound and a half and can combine up to six 3G or 4G cellular connections to support a “professional HD-quality video uplink.” Our big unanswered question (we have a call in to the company and plan a longer look at mobile cameras soon) is how much does it cost to run one of these babies, since we are guessing that a live video stream would chew through a regular cellular data plan after a few plays. Our guess is that LiveU has some kind of deal with the cellular folks but we’ll know more soon.

The debut of the LU40i unit, which LiveU said was also used at the NBA All-Star Weekend, the Grammies and at CES and SXSW, begs the question of where are its competitors, especially the high profile LiveEdge, a company funded in part by Verizon and one of the companies selected to participate in Verizon’s “incubator” program for startups.

LiveEdge proposed modem unit, which snaps on the back of a pro TV camera. Credit: LiveEdge

LiveEdge, which originally launched with the idea of putting a WiMAX modem on the back of TV cameras, morphed toward LTE when it became apparent that the major cellular providers were moving to that technology. Last year, the company was highlighted by Verizon’s CEO at CES as one of the new apps for LTE services and scored the unspecified investment from Verizon as well as the incubator spot.

But since then there’s been nothing but crickets from LiveEdge, whose former CEO, Robert Klingle, has apparently left the building since he’s no longer listed on the company website. In fact the About page looks like it’s recently been truncated; it used to show other execs even after Klingle’s name was taken off earlier this year but now it’s blank. Repeated calls and emails to both Verizon and LiveEdge have gone unanswered, though one LiveEdge spokesperson who asked to remain unidentified did say several weeks ago that an announcement would be forthcoming soon.

Maybe at next week’s NAB show in Vegas? That’s where LiveU will be showing off the LU40i, which looks like the leader in the space for mobile, broadcast-quality TV.

Verizon Updates IndyCar App

Verizon Wireless announced an update to its exclusive IndyCar Mobile app, which gives Verizon subscribers with Apple iOs devices or Android devices the ability to now watch races live from the driver’s viewpoint, or to see a live view of the track and where racers are, among other features.

The new app has a long list of features, but here are the ones we like best: the ability to “see the real-time position of every car across the track during every race,” and to “watch the race from the driver’s seat and see the intensity first hand.” The driver’s view screen could be a great “second screen” app to fans watching the races live on TV.

Free to Verizon subscribers with qualifying high-end phones or tablets, the IndyCar Mobile 3.0 app is available for download now, in advance of the IndyCar season opening race Sunday in St. Petersburg, Fla. As usual, any data downloads you incur will count against your monthly data package. To see the official press release go here, or you can get more info from the Verizon promotion page. Official download instructions are:

To download the latest version of INDYCAR Mobile, customers with an active data plan on their Android or iOS devices can dial “**INDY (**4639).” Customers with Android tablets such as the Motorola XOOM™, DROID XYBOARD tablets by Motorola or the Samsung Galaxy Tab™ 10.1 or 7.7 can search for “Indycar” in the Google Play Store (formerly known as Android Market™).

Mobile Bracket Apps: ESPN’s Rocks, Which One are You Using?

Being old enough to remember the days when we had to sketch out NCAA brackets by hand, do a bunch of photocopying and then massive all-night scores tabulations for hoops pools, I can only sit back and wonder where technology has brought us… to having my bracket live on my phone.

As an ESPN bracket user (please join our bracket challenge) I noticed today after downgrading my Syracuse picks that there was a phone app available for tracking my bracket. A quick download, a quicker sign in and… presto, my brackets and groups were live and ready for viewing. And even more importantly, there was a quick way to change the name of my entry which as many of us do, depending on the fate of our picks.

Will be interesting to see how quickly the mobile platform updates when the games start — so far ESPN servers seem to be working overtime, but as we all know it gets different when the ball is tossed up in the air. Anyone else using a different bracket service or mobile app? Let us know in the comments.

Tablet or iPad + Wi-Fi = Mobile Sports Nirvana

One of the interesting features of the new Apple iPad it its inclusion of a 4G LTE communications chip, which will let the device connect directly with the high-speed wireless networks now being built by Verizon Wireless and AT&T in the U.S. While that’s great news for tablet users who want more power on the go, for mobile sports fans a Wi-Fi connection is going to remain the wireless link of choice going forward.

Why? Because data rates for 4G LTE are still too high to make cellular-only usage an option, especially if you want to give the tablet a regular full-game workout. There’s no set way yet to measure exactly how much cellular data you use when you are viewing live video because the answer depends on a lot of variables, including video resolution rate, your distance from the nearest cell tower, and the strength of the signal. But the bottom line for sports fans is that if you want to use the tablet exclusively for sports consumption, the smart move is to find a Wi-Fi signal whenever you can.

And since more stadiums are now putting Wi-Fi inside, bringing your tablet or iPad to the game is going to become as much a no-brainer as “buying peanuts on the outside,” to coin a phrase you hear outside Wrigley. Within the next few years we are guessing that most teams will start to implement some kind of “stadium app,” which delivers custom content and in-stadium-only goodies like multiple camera angles or replays. The old days of people wringing their hands over whether or not devices should be at games are over. The new future is folks bringing a tablet or iPad and taking it out to watch an occasional memorable replay, or to look up stats. Or to order a cold one, and have it waiting at an express window.

On the couch, the tablet is going to become as ubiquitous as the remote — hell, it might even replace the remote at some point in the future when cable providers like Comcast get their act together. Though the live streaming of the Super Bowl this year wasn’t a tremendous experience, we are betting that this year’s Masters coverage online will really move the ball forward when it comes to having a complementary viewing option. And the tablet format — big enough screen to be exciting, small enough to carry around easily — is just going to keep getting bigger, with or without a 4G LTE connection.