Numerous Challenges for Network ConstructionThe high density and...

Numerous Challenges for Network ConstructionThe high density and high capacity environment of a stadium makes network construction especially challenging. As a major venue in the city, St. Jakob Park attracts visitors from far and wide, with upwards of 60,000 people in the stands, shops, restaurants, and parking areas at any one time. On top of that, the online habits of visitors have also changed over the years. While most people used to be content simply browsing websites and social media, today people want to also be able to watch and share videos and images. In this newly demanding environment, St. Jakob Park’s legacy network struggled to offer acceptable coverage to more than 30% of visitors, with no guaranteed network bandwidth for high-priority services possible, and no capacity to ensure the quality of High Definition (HD) audio and video playback.A large stadium network with such wide coverage requires expert configuration and delivery. The high number of potential end users adds layers of complexity, making Operations and Maintenance (O&M) potentially difficult, placing enormous strain on the stadium's technical team, in turn impacting operating cost.Network security is also critical for public venues, with public Wi-Fi networks particularly vulnerable to attacks. There has to be a balance between security and convenience, to allow different types of users access to key services after verifying their identity.In this scenario, St. Jakob Park had a vision: to transform itself into an eco-friendly, wireless stadium. To turn this vision into reality, an advanced future-proofed Wi-Fi network was required to achieve full wireless coverage, high user concurrency, and secure connections, all with easy O&M.