Overview
The Mckenzie international track meet in Blue River, Oregon was the final day for athletes to qualify for the Olympics. It gave them one more chance to achieve a qualifying time on the track. Ultimately, two athletes secured qualifying times and are able to join the Olympic team as a result of the track meet.
Organized by Portland Track, a non-profit organization, the event was also an opportunity to collect donations going toward rebuilding the surrounding community after the 2020 Holiday Farm Fire. Elevate Technology Group had the expertise necessary to build a groundup broadband infrastructure to support hundreds of attendees, athletes and staff while also providing broadband for a livestream of the event.
Supporting Hundreds With Wireless
Oregon-based Elevate Technology Group, a managed service provider (MSP), was responsible for installation of the network for the event. Elevate Technology Group deploys and manages networks for the government, forest services, health clinics, multi-dwelling units (MDU) and education environments.
This time, they faced the challenge of supporting hundreds of guests in an area with heavy tree cover. Previously, the area only received a 5-10 Mbps DSL connection. They needed a network that would allow attendees to make Wi-Fi calls, FaceTime their family and livestream the event.
Leveraging Experience to Build Broadband Infrastructure
To provide a backhaul connection, Elevate Technology Group used a CBRS solution: two Cambium Networks 450b units in point-to-point (PTP) mode. They made a NLOS shot through the tree cover from a school to the track.
To meet the needs of the athletes, guests and workers, Elevate used Cambium Networks’ XV2- 2T outdoor Wi-Fi 6 access points (AP) as part of a beta deployment. The XV2-2T has a highgain omnidirectional antenna with high consistency and range. It also provided the adequate reach to connect weaker clients.
The installers used their previous experience working in the area and knowledge of CBRS to plan the network’s backhaul infrastructure. As for the Wi-Fi connection, installers covered one end of the track and grandstands.
Connecting Hundreds While Thousands Stream Online
Attendees were excited to receive speeds higher than the 5-10 Mbps DSL connection experienced before. During the event, there was an aggregate bandwidth of 220 Megs. 157 unique devices connected to the Wi-Fi network during the event. An estimated 700 people attended the track meet while thousands watched the livestream online thanks to the 450b units.
Wi-Fi allowed attendees to stream video from the event to their families, and guests were able to FaceTime live from the event without issue. The Wi-Fi was up and ready at all times and was easy to log into; guests barely noticed because the Wi-Fi simply worked. Now, the McKenzie Track looks forward to partnering with Elevate Technology Group again for future events.
