Quicken Loans Arena Makes $5 Million Dollar Upgrade with
New Distributed Antenna System and FREE Wi-Fi
Quicken Loans Arena is officially wired and up-to-speed to meet fan expectations in the digital age. In partnership with Verizon Wireless, the ultimate tag-team solution for seamless digital and mobile connectivity has been created. Verizon’s installation of a new distributed antenna system (DAS) combined with The Q’s own FREE Wi-Fi network delivers a one-two punch that supports high-capacity simultaneous user activity inside the arena. Now, thousands attending events at The Q have the ability to talk, text, tweet and more to the max!
“Our fans can now access the digital world easy, free and with the speed they need and deserve anytime they are at The Q,” said Len Komoroski, Cavaliers and Quicken Loans Arena CEO. “These new DAS and Wi-Fi systems are a reflection of our entire organization’s commitment to do whatever we can to make the in-arena experience fun, engaging and dynamic.”
The Q’s new carrier-led DAS, built by Verizon Wireless, remarkably distributes a powerful cellular signal through a network of more than 200 small antennas strategically placed around the arena. The antennas grab the signal from on-site base station equipment and transmit it through the facility to provide stronger wireless reception at 4G LTE speeds.
Built to augment the DAS as an alternative connectivity point, Quicken Loans Arena installed QWiFi, its new high-speed wireless internet system. The high-density Wi-Fi network covers 100% of the arena and is free to fans and everyone visiting or working at The Q with their smartphones, tablets or devices. The system is designed so that if a loss of a critical Wi-Fi component occurs, it will recover within seconds without interrupting the user experience.
“Our network team worked closely with the Cleveland Cavaliers to construct this new DAS that will provide our customers with even more capacity at The Q,” said Mark Frazier, region president for the Ohio/Pennsylvania/West Virginia Region, Verizon Wireless. “Sports fans are increasingly reliant on their wireless devices, such as smartphones and tablets, for streaming video, accessing social media and downloading apps, music, photos and other content. We built this in collaboration with the Cleveland Cavaliers to offer our subscribers a superior wireless experience while at the arena.”
To install both the DAS and Wi-Fi in the 750,000 square foot Quicken Loans Arena required 106,575 feet of cable and 461 antennas (235 DAS antennas and 230 Wi-Fi antennas).
The Cleveland Cavaliers organization, which includes Quicken Loans Arena and its family of sports teams (AHL Lake Erie Monsters and AFL Cleveland Gladiators also play at The Q), engages visitors year-round through its leading web and mobile platforms. With a total social network of more than 1.2 million users, the DAS and QWiFi improve fan engagement through social media, in-arena promotions and much more with increased internet speeds and instant access to original content, news and updates.