Switzerland’s largest stadium, St Jakob Park, in Basel has installed a new networking solution to keep fans connected during gamedays.
The installation from tech giants Huawei helped solve the challenge of delivering coverage to a high density and high capacity stadium using the latest connectivity technology.
With a maximum capacity of 40,000 and 480 parking spaces over two levels, providing visitors with a wireless connection was a difficult task.
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.
To tackle the issues facing St Jakob Park, Huawei offered a solution with an advanced cloud management architecture, powered by the industry’s most advanced wi-fi 6 technologies.
It features large bandwidth, high concurrency, and low latency coupled with a radio calibration function that reduces the interference rate by 60%. Huawei wi-fi 6 also supports a large number of users – up to 400 users can be connected to a single AP at the same time.
By wirelessly connecting to Huawei’s cloud management platform, network devices are now able to gain access to a range of tools, including Access Point (AP) management, application management, license management, network planning and optimization, device monitoring, network service configuration, and Value-Added Services (VASs). As a result, the stadium’s technical team can handle complex network planning and O&M with ease. Indeed, the entire process is automated and intelligent, enhancing operations efficiency while lowering operating costs.
To meet the high-density requirements of the project, Huawei AP7060DN APs were introduced in shops, restaurants, and parking lots, to provide indoor coverage. Outside, AP8050DN and AP8150DN APs were deployed to provide additional coverage.
The AP7060DN is Huawei’s next-generation Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) AP. With a data rate of up to 5.95 Gbit/s, it is fully capable of meeting the quality requirements for high-bandwidth services, such as HD video streams, allowing users to enjoy high-quality wireless services. Additionally, the AP7060DN performs well in terms of coverage, access density, and operating stability, delivering an optimal internet experience to end-users.
AP8050DN and AP8150DN are both 802.11ac Wave 2 outdoor dual-band wireless APs. Featuring excellent outdoor coverage performance and powerful hardware protection functionality, they offer high access capacity and a data rate of up to 1.267 Gbit/s, enabling gigabit access for users outdoors. Both APs excel in high-density outdoor scenarios, such as stadiums. They provide comprehensive service support capabilities and feature high reliability, high security, simple network deployment, automatic WLAN AC discovery and configuration, and real-time management and maintenance.
