Verizon’s plan to build CBRS networks for coaches’ sideline communications at all 30 NFL stadiums is up and running, with all networks ready for the start of the regular season, according to a Verizon executive.
Since there’s no official press release or interview yet, this will be a short post which we plan to update in the future. But here is your first look at a CBRS antenna at the Denver Broncos’ Empower Field at Mile High, mounted flush with the padding that surrounds the railing that separates the field from the stands.
Matt Burns, Verizon network performance manager for the Colorado and Wyoming region, said in a phone interview that all 30 networks are deployed, and “ready to go” for the NFL season. In Denver, the CBRS network consists of four antennas, two on each side of the field. According to Burns, coaches on the sidelines will have their headsets connected wirelessly to the CBRS network, which will then relay communications via a wired connection to coaches in the press box.
While the 5-year deal between the league and Verizon will initially focus just on the sideline networks, the partnership is seen as a possible step toward the teams using expanded versions of the CBRS networks for other applications that might benefit from the inherent security of the private infrastructure, including in-house video transport or financial-transaction uses, among others.
