When Fenway Park opened in 1912, wireless device coverage, obviously, wasn't a concern. That created some challenges for Verizon's recent project to create a system for improved wireless coverage in the ballpark.
The latest improvement, the completion of a new Verizon Distributed Antenna System, builds off the improvements made to the park in the last decade, the Red Sox announced Saturday.
"Marrying Fenway Park's old charm with modern conveniences and amenities has been an ongoing effort for the last decade, but sometimes the realities of a 99-year-old ballpark can pose some unique challenges," Red Sox Executive Vice President/Business Affairs Jonathan Gilula said in a statement. "We worked closely with the Massachusetts Historical Commission to ensure that the antennas complied with historical standards and that from an aesthetic standpoint, they did not interfere with the look and feel of the ballpark."
The Verizon DAS is a network of antennas that deliver wireless service within a geographical area of large building where steel and concrete interfere with wireless signals, according to a news release.
The new system, which includes miles of unseen cables connecting more than 300 antennas driving the system, separates the ballpark into 18 sectors. Where antennas had to be visible, Verizon tried to make them as unobtrustive as possible.
The system was built and installed by Verizon Wireless, the official wireless provider of the Boston Red Sox, but the system incorporates other service providers onto the platform to improve service for other carriers.
"Handheld technology is really changing the in-park fan experience," Gilula said in the statement. "This new system not only enhances reception inside Fenway Park, it also helps us meet both the current demands of our fans from a mobile technology standpoint and sets us up with the proper infrastructure to meet their future needs."
Fans inside Fenway Park and residents in the surrounding neighborhood should see greatly improved mobile device reception, the news release states.
