ADC tapped for GOP convention
September 2 2008 - 1:09 pm ET | Gary E. Salazar | RCR Wireless News
As the nation’s eyes shift from Denver to the Twin Cities for this week’s Republican National Convention, a Minnesota-based company’s technology is once again being used to make sure cell phones and other wireless devices work inside the convention hall.
ADC, which provided its active distributed antenna systems for last week’s Democratic convention, is having its technology utilized this week to boost cellular service inside three buildings for this week’s GOP convention in St. Paul, Minn.
The company’s FlexWave Universal Radio Head systems have been installed inside the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul River Centre and Roy Wilkins Auditorium. In Denver, the company’s technology was installed at Pepsi Center, Invesco Field, Coors Field and the Colorado Convention Center for last month’s Democratic convention.
“These presidential conventions, more than any other in our history, are requiring an enormous pipeline of bandwidth to meet the telecommunications needs of media, delegates and other attendees,” David Raap, ADC program manager of fiber connectivity, said in a news release.
ADC’s technology is being used to ensure delegates have cell service and the 15,000 journalists, who are covering the GOP convention, can do their jobs using wireless devices, said Max Everett, chairman of the committee organizing the Republican convention.
“Our goal with wireless is to make sure it is the best it can be and people can work in a secure fashion,” Everett said.
To boost cellular coverage inside the three St. Paul venues, units that support ADC’s FlexWave URH system were installed in various areas of the buildings, including catwalks. The deployable units support multiple frequencies and wireless services while providing a platform for network sharing.
To provide the service at the conventions, ADC is working with Qwest Communications International Inc. and New Path Networks, a wireless neutral host company hired to build the networks, according to a news release.
