LGC Cellular Coverage System Powers Massive Caller Capacity During 2007 Super Bowl

LGC Wireless, the leader in advanced in-building wireless systems, today announced that its InteReach Fusion system powered massive cellular call capacity during February’s Super Bowl at Dolphin Stadium in

Miami
Gardens. The stadium wanted a massive improvement in cellular coverage and call capacity in its newly expanded facility in time for the 2007 Super Bowl.

“When we told our wireless providers that we needed increased capacity for simultaneous cell phone calls during the game, they pointed us directly to LGC Wireless based on their previous experience,” said Tery Howard, Director of Information Technology, Miami Dolphins, Ltd. and Dolphin Stadium. “LGC and its integrators came through with a system that allowed anyone to place a call at any time, even during the height of the action on February 4.”

Deployed on time and on budget, the Fusion system — the world’s leading multi-carrier indoor cellular coverage system — provided service for 10,000 to 15,000 simultaneous callers at the height of the game’s action. System integrator Communication Technology Services (CTS), a Massachusetts-based wireless design and integration company, deployed the system throughout the 1.4 million square foot, 75,000-seat stadium.

“LGC Wireless was incredibly responsive in getting us the equipment and technical assistance we needed to make this project happen on time,” said Tom McCloskey, General Manager of CTS’ Wireless Division. “The CATV cabling of the Fusion system was easy to install, and we also saved time because all three of the carrier’s frequencies were carried through one set of electronics.”

In all, the system included carrier base stations, three Fusion main hubs, ten Fusion expansion hubs, and 75 remote antennas. Significantly, the system exceeded the performance of many installations, including busy urban macro cell towers used by cellular providers. Dropped calls on the system were roughly one-fourth of typical rates, and at the peak hour (8 PM EST), the system carried 36 Erlangs (units of telecommunications traffic measuring continuous use of one voice path) — nearly as much as a busy urban macro cell site carries in a month.

“LGC’s Fusion and Unison systems deliver the industry’s highest performance in venues of any size, from huge stadiums and airports to enterprise environments,” said John Spindler, vice president of marketing at LGC Wireless. “Dolphin Stadium represents the first large-scale deployment of our new InterReach Fusion system for multi-carrier, multi-frequency coverage, and it came through with flying colors. Given our strong relationships with all major worldwide cellular carriers and system integrators, we expect that Fusion will bring high-performance cellular coverage to many more locations worldwide.”