April 9, 2025

What is it?

These guidelines outline best practices for deploying a high-density (HD) Wi-Fi network using OmniAccess Stellar access points, especially in dense environments like stadiums or outdoor arenas. 

The modern stadium is an extreme case of high-density (HD) Wi-Fi in a well-defined space and a typical example of multiple wireless services with the following main characteristics:

• Several tens of thousands of seats (the example given in this note is for a stadium with up to 50,000+ seats)
• +20,000m² surface area for 50,000+ seats
• More access points than channels in the 5GHz band
• Different areas and spaces at different tier levels reserved for press, media or VIPs
• Users are mainly guests (up to 2 devices per person)
• Halls and concession areas (stores) around the stands
• Offices, facilities, auditoriums, restaurants or other indoor spaces
• Exceptional concentration of users during events 
• High-rise structures, up to 50m high
• Elevated platforms (catwalk-type) to support technical equipment

Why should you care?

There is a high mix of clients and applications in a stadium. Today's stadium visitors generally have the following characteristics:

• Around 90% of equipment/smartphones are dual-band compatible
• 90% are smartphones, 10% are laptops for visitors in the stands
• The percentage of visitors with Wi-Fi 6 phones is estimated 20%-35%, bringing a high mix of devices into the stadium
• The majority of Wi-Fi clients today operate in 2x2:2 MIMO mode
• Most clients support 5GHz DFS channels, then DFS channels can be included in channel plans for visitors
• Each visitor can have up to two devices

A stadium requires a variety of Wi-Fi services (up to 7 SSIDs maximum are possible for an average channel utilization in the 5GHz band of around 12%). These Wi-Fi services need to be specially designed to handle a high density of clients, with an average of 0.5 to 1 m² per seat and 1 to 2 m² of space in high-concentration areas. 

To set up a high-density WLAN network in a stadium as described above, a WLAN network design project based on capacity planning is essential. This planning enables you to assess how the network will be used at high density. The following points will need to be considered in the case of high-density design in a stadium:

How does it work?

Example of installation for 50,000 seats

The following map illustrates a stadium with a capacity of 52,000 seats and shows a study for the location of 260 AP1322s equipped with ANT-S-M4-60 and ANT-S-M4-30 external antennas. The installation strategy is to place these directional access points on the roof structure, to ensure complete, high-density coverage of the visitor area on both levels of the stadium's stands.

With this approach, each AP1322 covers an average of up to 180 seats. One telecom satellite cabinet is required approximately every 3,200 seats, with each cabinet equipped with a 24-port switch in this example. To further improve connectivity in the stands, auxiliary installations such as additional access points and reinforcement antennas can be considered in high-traffic areas, such as access gates, for example. 

The image above illustrates the coverage of AP1322s access points for an area of 775 seats on level 1 of the stadium's stands. You can see, the signals from the access points are carefully aligned to provide uniform coverage across level 1, ensuring stable and consistent connectivity in this area. 

Differentiation in the market 

Alcatel-Lucent provides an end-to-end architecture for high-density network implementations. 

Implementing a high-density Stellar WLAN network in a large-capacity stadium, as described above, is a complex project requiring a carefully planned network architecture. The WLAN and core LAN network is typically an autonomous, mission-critical network managed by the Omnivista 2500 management system (NMS).

The architecture illustrated below showcases a multi-service network that has already proven its effectiveness in various 'always-on', strategic network scenarios including: high-speed rail signaling, CCTV-IP networks for airports, data centers for police, governments and so on. This network is designed to support array of services such as video-surveillance, diverse network entities, security, access control and notably high-density WLAN in the case of stadium/large arena. 

OmniAccess Stellar high-density WLAN is based here on a network core consisting of two redundant Omniswitch 6900s and features the following:

• Virtual chassis
• Autofabric
• VLAN scalability
• Device scalability (288K MACs)
• Low latency
• Application visibility and analytics (real-time Layer 7 application processing)
• Service isolation
• Guaranteed 40Gbps traffic, with the ability to peak at 100 Gbps

The network core provides full redundancy for all appliances in the data center, with a physical location across two separate sites. 

• Omnivista 2500 NMS operates in high availability (HA) mode with a duplicated database.
• DHCP/DNS servers need to be high-performance and accommodate multiple IP scopes and a large database for support of WLAN for visitors.
• The Captive Portal (CP) service can be entirely managed by Omnivista 2500. Omnivsta 2500 offers a significant advantage due to its ability to handle a large number of users while consolidating CP functions and access policies on a same server. Omnivista 2500 greatly simplifies the management of visitor access in a high-density user environment, such as a stadium.

It is also possible to manage the CP function with a third-party CP solution and the solution must be able to support at least 15,000 users immediately (for example, the UCOPIA Edge solution with on-site controllers and advanced licenses for a high number of users using CP services).

How do you position and sell Alcatel-Lucent high-density Wi-Fi solutions?

Alcatel-Lucent OmniAccess Stellar Wi-Fi access points integrate 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) technologies, such as OFDMA and BSS coloring, as well as the evolution of beam-forming, evolution of MU-MIMO and the contribution of fast modulation for nearby clients. This offers numerous advantages in high-density applications. Full use of 802.11ax in high-density installations means:

• The support for large numbers of clients
• More efficient use of airtime in high-density applications
• A better channel reuse in the 5GHz band
• A better control of CCI

The recommended Stellar Wi-Fi 6 access points in high density are:

For stands/seats areas, other installation strategies are possible upon use cases:

• Seat and handrail installations: Some APs can be installed directly under seats, which can be useful for providing connectivity to nearby spectators. Handrails also enable APs to be positioned at the right height to provide effective coverage for visitors seated in the stands. 
  
• Wall and structure installations: Stadium walls and other structures can also be used to support APs and provide Wi-Fi coverage in areas where stands are not present.

For example, the use of AP1321 model with integrated antennas can be envisaged for this type of installation, particularly for seats with the use of suitable protective boxes (NEMA enclosure protection rating IP3 or IP4). These installations are generally designed to meet specific needs and their implementation must be carefully planned to ensure optimum coverage in these areas. The use of low-performance Wi-Fi 6 APs is not recommended for stadiums with more than 5,000 seats. 

How does Arrow help?

Arrow's Alcatel-Lucent sales and technical experts can provide configuration and quoting assistance, as well as the information and support needed to help you differentiate Alcatel-Lucent from the competition. 

In addition, Arrow Capital Solutions can assist with any financing needed to help you make these solutions affordable and cost-effective for your customers. 

More information

If you have questions or require assistance with growing your business with Alcatel-Lucent, please contact Arrow today!