Subaru Park in Chester, PA
Subaru Park (formerly known as Talen Energy Stadium) is in Chester, Pennsylvania and is home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. The stadium is a multipurpose facility with a seating capacity of 18,500. In addition to major league soccer events, the stadium hosts NCAA lacrosse tournaments, rugby matches, and occasional concert festivals.
Problem
Wireless data usage exploded with the adoption of 4G LTE networks around the same time as the stadium was built. Moreover, high population densities in stadium-style venues cause a massive capacity and bandwidth strain on cellular networks which leads to a poor experience for fans that utilize their mobile devices for live streaming or uploading photos to social media platforms in real-time. Even voice and texting were unreliable during events which led to negative feedback from many season ticket holders and other customers who attended events.
Solution
The Philadelphia Union teamed up with a large third party neutral host operator (3PO) on the project and this company chose to work with Intenna Systems to make the DAS a reality. After extensive consultations with the anchor wireless service provider to determine the technical requirements of the project, Intenna provided a full turnkey solution that went live during the 2015 Major League Soccer season. The DAS has 11 zones inside the stadium and 3 higher power outdoor DAS (oDAS) zones to serve the surrounding parking lots. This configuration allows each wireless service provider the flexibility to dedicate significant 4G capacity where it is needed most. The 3 largest wireless service providers are plugged into the DAS.
