American Tower is deploying a new, neutral-host Distributed Antenna System (DAS) with support for 5G at the Xcel Energy Center arena in Saint Paul, Minnesota as well as the surrounding complex.
The new system is being built in parallel with an existing DAS, according to AMT. Construction started in May and it is expected to be done in time for the 2023 hockey season; the Xcel Energy Center is home of the Minnesota Wild National Hockey League team.
The 650,000-square-foot facility in Minnesota hosts more than 150 sports and entertainment events each year and attracts 1.7 million visitors, according to American Tower; it is among the largest arenas in North America. The arena itself has a capacity of about 19,000. The new DAS network will also cover the Saint Paul RiverCentre venue and the city convention center, as well as back-of-the-house operations.
American Tower said that that new DAS will support all 5G spectrum bands, including millimeter-wave and C-Band.
“We were ready to enter the new era of fan engagement and provide cutting-edge applications for the Minnesota Wild fans, with an updated, neutral-host 5G DAS,” said Jim Ibister, SVP of facility administration for Minnesota Sports and Entertainment.He added that the network upgrade “will provide a state-of-the-art experience today and set the foundation for future technologies for years to come.”
Francis Finnegan, VP of managed networks at American Tower, said the company is “working diligently to ensure a seamless transition, without any downtime, as we construct a parallel DAS network that will be fully deployed in time for the 2023 NHL season. Our DAS solution not only meets today’s 5G requirements, but it is future-ready for next-generation applications, with our edge compute offerings.”
