Metro Ethernet Service at Fenway Park for High Speed Internet Connection

Though generations have come and gone, Fenway Park remains, much like it did the day it opened – over 100 years ago – on April 20, 1912. As one of America's most beloved ballparks, Fenway Park is home to the Red Sox, their fans, hotdogs, and now, Metro Ethernet service.

According to the team's IT director, Steven Conley, the industry has evolved to the point where everyone from coaches to scouts and even the media utilizes the Internet in order to better perform their tasks. For example, the media (TV crews, journalists, etc.) requires a high-speed connection to facilitate streaming video and upload photos and stories; and coaches are using the high-speed connections to cover vast amounts of data while reviewing and analyzing previous games and players each week.

In addition, the 37,000+ Red Sox fans that show up to watch a game will also be able to benefit from the new fiber connection. The new system – which includes Wi-Fi hotspots – provides 100 Mbps connectivity that is scalable up to 10 Gbps, allowing fans to stay connected while they search for instant statistics, such as pitch speed and count, as well as take and share photos via smartphones and tablets. Conley noted that today, fans "want to know what's going on in the game they're watching and they want to know how it impacts their fantasy team or other parts of their digital life, they want to know how can they Tweet out or update their Facebook status with their experiences at the ballpark."

Delivering all that data, however, was a bit complex; Fenway Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Conley explained that, while recent renovations have made the building "much easier to hook up," preserving the characteristics of the park was a chief priority, meaning "no antennas on the brick exterior,"' and when it came to inside the park, "no routers hanging off the columns." As a result, much of the equipment is cleverly hidden in inaccessible, out of the way areas.

Additional Information

The new Metro Ethernet service will also be installed at the Red Sox's spring training facility, Jet Blue Park, and link to the minor league facilities.

If you're interested in finding a Metro Ethernet solution for your business, give one of our professional account managers a call today! We have a proven track record of negotiating the best solutions and pricing for our customers, and offer an unbiased alternative to the traditional sales organizations of the telecommunication providers.