Verizon Business and Cisco Bringing 5G-Enabled, MEC Solutions to Sports and Entertainment Venues

As sports and entertainment venues begin reintroducing fans back to stadiums, arenas, and event spaces, Verizon Business and Cisco announced they are working together to offer solutions combining Verizon’s 5G network and 5G Edge to provide a safer in-person experience.

To bring people back to in-person, large crowd entertainment, new measures are needed in order to help make the experience more secure and enjoyable including contactless physical access, social distancing, crowd management, wayfinding, and seamless payments.

Powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband with mobile edge computing (MEC) capabilities, 5G Edge interfaces with the Cisco Sports and Entertainment portfolio. The joint solution integrates with a variety of Cisco innovations including Cisco DNA Spaces for secure location analytics, Cisco switching and data center technology, connected venue analytics, and more. The 5G and MEC environments will help deliver near real-time enablement and experiences.

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Together, Verizon and Cisco intend to bring stadiums a digital, future-ready infrastructure that helps solve pressing challenges and provides new capabilities to:

• Leverage analytics to estimate wait times associated with lines at check-in, restrooms and concession stands; interfaces with digital signage and mobile applications to direct patrons to alternative locations with shorter lines
• Identify crowd density and manage crowd flows with the use of digital signage and messages to venue staff to help maintain social distancing standards

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“While all sports and entertainment fans are looking forward to the day they can get back to their favorite venues, many are understandably nervous about their safety in large crowds. This solution will help put minds at ease so fans can re-enter venues with the knowledge that strong steps are being taken to safeguard their wellbeing,” said Aamir Hussain, SVP Chief Product Officer for Verizon Business. “This is one of the many 5G-enabled experiences powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband that is changing the in-person fan experience in dozens of stadiums.”

“Our combined expertise and technology innovation is furthering the evolution of 5G, creating a dynamic offering for the industry that will redefine stadium sports and entertainment for the future,” said Jonathan Davidson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco. “With the power of 5G and MEC solutions, we can bring cloud-powered services closer to the edge for more flexible development of applications, helping venues to deliver new experiences better, faster and with more clarity and precision.”

Verizon continues to provide innovative and immersive fan experiences at sporting and entertainment events such as The Academy Awards and the Indy 500 and through collaborations with the National Hockey League and National Football League; using augmented and virtual reality and MEC-enabled solutions in stadiums and arenas powered by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband.

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