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We loaned Geoffrey Brackman a Verizon GoPro and Nexus 6 to use at the Great Dayton Fair.
Verizon Wireless installed a temporary COW – or a Cell on Wheels – to provide additional network coverage for the 135th Annual Dayton Fair in August. With enhanced voice, 3G and 4G LTE coverage, fair-goers could quickly call, text and share their 2015 Dayton Fair experiences on our network. Tech enthusiast Geoffrey Brackman visited the Dayton Fair and used a GoPro to shoot the below video about the experience. He writes about technology and gadgets via a Google+ community at NexTech, which features tech reviews, support and news about all things tech related.Afterwards, we interviewed Geoffrey about his wireless experience at the fair:
Q. Did you have fun at the Dayton Fair?
A. I had a blast at the fair! I’m not much for rides, but loved people watching and talking with the people at the booths. Oh, and the tractors! What a collection of tractors. I had tons of fun looking at all of them—old to new.
Q. Which mobile devices did you bring with you?
A. I brought two Google Nexus 6 devices with me to the fair, a Verizon Wireless Nexus 6 and an AT&T Nexus 6.
Q. Did your devices get service?
A. The AT&T N6 had zero bars the entire time I was at the fair. At one point, I actually had to turn it off. It was getting too hot in my pocket searching for signal, and the battery was draining hard and fast. The Verizon Wireless N6 had full bars of 4G LTE the entire time I was there.
Q. How did Verizon’s COW allow you to use wireless tech at the fair?
A. Thanks to the COW, I was able to make phone calls! This is a huge deal at the Dayton Fairgrounds because in the past, you literally had to tell friends, “Meet me at the tractors at exactly 7:15 p.m.” The 4G LTE was also awesome for checking G+, keeping up on my text messages and sharing pics with family.
Q. Why was it important for you to stay connected?
A. We live connected lives. Having cell service gave me peace of mind and with young children at home, it eliminated my fear of the unknown. Knowing that I can be reached or that I can contact others is important to me. Facebook, Google+, Instagram and the Internet are all nice to have, but you can’t put a price on peace of mind.
Q. Did you talk to other people at the fair who did (or didn’t) have service? What were their thoughts on the Verizon COW enhancement?
A. I was able to speak with tons of people at the fair. Those who didn’t have Verizon Wireless, didn’t have a signal. On the other hand, those who did have a Verizon device had strong service. To see the "wow" in their eyes when they realized they actually had service at the Dayton Fair was very neat. Some of the fair veterans were excited to share, “You know why we have service?” With the follow up of, “Verizon Wireless brought in a cell tower just for us.” Their appreciation and thankfulness was strong.
