Bandwidth & ConnectivityMassachusetts Convention Center Authority

Trends

• More free Wi-Fi in venues.• Increased reliance on Wi-Fi by the client, exhibitor and attendee

= increased reliance on a robust Wi-Fi network.• Increased interference and co-mingling of radio traffic in venues

will continue to impact performance.• A new breed of technician is emerging to support the wireless

networks—The Radio Frequency (RF) engineer.

Trends

• Wireless traffic will continue to consume increasing amounts of traditional wired bandwidth “out of the building”.

• Real-time scalable bandwidth will emerge as a necessity as events continue to grow year over year. (While attendance may not change much, demands placed on the network, bandwidth, wireless infrastructure will grow exponentially.)

PlannersWhat questions should you be asking?• Will the venue be able to deliver wireless services to my

attendees?• Will these services be delivered at a reasonable cost or at no

cost?• Is the underlying infrastructure reliable, robust, secure and

well supported?

Technology delivery is a mindset & commitment

Robust connections within the facility and external to the facility are no longer a “nice to have.” Rather, they are a requirement.

“Our investment in technology, the team and our long-term commitment to setting the standard—has and will continue to carry the same value as the traditional venue services. We make sure the electricity, lights, heating and air conditioning works without question. The same is true for our technology services.” – James E. Rooney

The Venue

Connectivity

• Inside of the venue• Outside of the

venue (cellular)• Connecting the

venue to the world

Inside of the Venue

• Does the facility have the network infrastructure to support the event?

• Does the facility have backup/redundant systems?• Does the facility have the team to support the

event?

Outside of the Venue

• Is there cellular coverage in the area?• Is its capacity adequate?

In Boston we have great signal strength. However, when you put 20,000 people in the facility you can overwhelm the local infrastructure. We installed a Distributed Antenna System (DAS) in our facilities. This puts all of the cellular traffic on fiber.

Connecting the Venue to the World

• Does the venue have adequate bandwidth to support the events?

• Can bandwidth be scaled in real-time?• Are there redundant connections to internet

carriers?

Wi-Fi & Cellular

We are seeing some shows with attendees averaging 2.4 devices per person with cellular or Wi-Fi connections.

During the most recent PAX event, peak throughput on our wireless network topped 750 megabits per second!

These services have to be bullet proof!

Rouge access points

Exhibitors bringing in rouge access points can kill the wireless network by increasing the “radio frequency (RF) noise” in the venue.

The Wild West of Wireless

“The MCCA is the sole provider of Wi-Fi Internet services within its facilities, customers may not use their own wireless access points, wireless routers, MiFi devices, or any other device that provides shared Wi-Fi Internet access. Therefore, customers are not authorized or permitted to install and operate their own Wi-Fi systems without the specific approval of the MCCA.”

“The Austin Convention Center Department (ACCD) is the exclusive provider for wired and wireless (Wi-Fi) services for the Austin Convention Center and the Palmer Events Center. The ACCD Wi-Fi service offers Internet access at speeds of up to 2 Mbps servicing clients, exhibitors, and attendees.”

Policies can help your event succeed

The investment

Has the venue invested in the technology, infrastructure and staff to support your event?

In the ten years the BCEC has been open we have replaced the wireless infrastructure four times—and we are doing it again.

“Thanks for going that extra mile …  to understand the media agencies network requirements, monitoring the network traffic before and during the event, being responsive and maintaining a blazing network for this event, both wireless and hardwired.  As a result, coverage by Thomson Reuters of Election Night 2012 in Boston was a success.”

-Joe Lukach, Editorial Field Specialist

Election Night

Media/Campaign Phones 600+

Peak Bandwidth 418 Mbs

Average Bandwidth 169 Mbs

Satellite Trucks 22

Network Trucks Whitehouse Pool 2