New wireless network to debut for series of events
Smart City Networks has completed a significant upgrade to the wireless network at the Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) in Orlando, Fla. The $1.4 million WiFi upgrade will enhance connectivity by supporting more wireless devices, like smartphones and tablets, as well as increase connection and download speeds.
The WiFi network upgrade increased the number of wireless access points throughout the facility from 468 to 830 and also doubled the quantity of wireless controllers. With these and the other technical upgrades complete, the WiFi network at the OCCC is now officially designated as a high-density network.
The new WiFi network officially debuts this month and one of the first facility customers to utilize it will be the electronic retailer, Best Buy during a series of events the company is holding this month, including the Home Holiday Kickoff and the Connectivity Business Group.
For these events, the Smart City Networks staff at the OCCC also provided a dedicated 100-megabyte (MB) hard-lined vendor network. The wireless network will be dual brand broadcast in the meeting rooms and concourses with a 5-gigahertz (GHz) broadcast signal in the exhibit halls reducing the occurrence of network interference. Devices that support the wireless N standard (802.11n) can utilize the higher-frequency 5GHz band to take advantage of additional channels that are less prone to interference.
“Today, people are carrying two and three wireless devices and are downloading more content than ever before,” said Kathie Canning, OCCC’s general manager. “Working with Smart City Networks, we were able to enhance the capability for people to communicate via email, social media and online in spite of how many people or how many devices are trying to connect to the network. These upgrades greatly reduce the network congestion and will improve connectivity for everyone.”
