Some recent upgrades to its 5G cellular network at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, helped wireless carrier T-Mobile see 6.3 terabytes of data used by its customers during the two days of Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game activities earlier this month.
According to figures provided by T-Mobile, the carrier said it saw a combined 6.3 TB of traffic on its in-stadium networks on July 15 and 16, when MLB held its 2024 Home Run Derby and its All-Star Game at Globe Life Field. Interestingly, T-Mobile said that 65 percent of the traffic (4.1 TB) was on 5G systems, with the remainder (2.1 TB) on 4G systems.
Prior to the All-Star Game festivities, T-Mobile said it upgraded all its 5G deployments inside the stadium as well as at public spaces in the greater Arlington area where baseball fans might have visited during their stay. Specifically, T-Mobile said it now has “100 percent” 5G coverage inside Globe Life Field, including 200 MHz of mmWave 5G.
Harlan Kickhoefer, who is with T-Mobile’s engineering department in Frisco, Texas, said the carrier uses its own network deployments for mmWave connectivity, and uses the stadium’s neutral-host DAS for all other spectrum. The Globe Life Field DAS, designed and deployed by DAS Group Professionals before the stadium opened in 2020, uses equipment from JMA as well as four MatSing lens antennas.
According to T-Mobile, its networks were also used to provide connectivity for a deployment of Major League Baseball’s Go-Ahead Entry technology for the All-Star Game. The Go-Ahead Entry technology uses facial authentication technology to allow fans to use their face for ticketing authentication, a process that is generally faster than traditional methods of digital ticket scanning. Once enrolled in the program, fans can simply approach the Go-Ahead Entry towers and look at the cameras, which then authenticate the tickets, allowing fans to just walk in to the stadium. According to T-Mobile the technology was deployed at four entry gates.
MLB, which trialed the Go-Ahead Entry systems in Philadelphia last season, has officially deployed the technology at four stadiums this season, including San Francisco, Washington, Philadelphia and Houston. An MLB spokesperson said that the Texas Rangers are still deciding whether or not the Go-Ahead Entry systems would stay at Globe Life Field permanently. Previously, MLB had said that more teams were scheduled to deploy Go-Ahead Entry this season. According to MLB, the Kansas City Royals deployed Go-Ahead Entry technology covering two gates at Kauffman Stadium earlier this week; the league also said it expects “two or three” more teams to deploy Go-Ahead Entry later this season.
