JMA Wireless antennas,
TEKO DAS and transmission line solutions
guarantee powerful cellular coverage in the grandstand.
Situation: Cellular Connectivity Near and Far
A large outdoor venue like Sonoma Raceway brings with it a multitude of cellular coverage challenges. Powerful mobile communications must be available in the far reaches of the race track, the enormous parking lots, the many onsite businesses, the grandstand, and the concession area. However, providing wireless coverage from the head-end locations to antennas in remote areas is not always easy or cost efficient.
During a major event many spectators, participants and corporate guests gather at Sonoma Raceway, which leads to the issue of densification. Cellular operators define densification as a highly concentrated area of cell phone subscribers with a great demand for wireless connectivity. Fans require cellular connectivity so they can share that special finish line moment via a video, photo, text or tweet. During an IndyCar or NASCAR event, terabytes of data can be transported over the wireless network in just a few short hours.
The wireless network must not only be able to provide robust cellular coverage for one operator, but it must be a multi-carrier, multi-band solution. People from all over the world enjoy the events at Sonoma Raceway. These spectators subscribe to a variety of operators and bands.
In addition, it needs to be future-proof so it can quickly and easily
support the latest technologies. The motor-sports complex is one of the world’s busiest racing facilities with activities scheduled on average 340 days per year; therefore, not much downtime is available to upgrade the wireless network.
Outdoor wireless systems in locations such as Sonoma Raceway can experience performance issues and signal degradation due to a number of factors. First, climates with extreme temperature changes may result in wireless performance issues. Since Sonoma Raceway is in the mountains, it often experiences large daily temperature fluctuations. Next, the excessive vibrations caused by the racing negatively impacts the structural integrity of wireless components.
Finally, outdoor equipment is more susceptible to signal disruptions due to its exposure to polluted air, dirt and the development of corrosion or rust. In the industry, these signal performance issues are classified as PIM (passive intermodulation). PIM is a form of intermodulation distortion that occurs in passive components such as antennas, cables, connectors, or duplexers with two or more high-power input signals. The outdoor wireless system must be built to guarantee high performance even under difficult conditions.
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