Touch down with our Test Force MVP
Test Force engineer Brad Frank shows us how Verizon made Las Vegas Super Bowl-ready
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Any championship-winning coach will tell you that the road to the Super Bowl begins in the pre-season. It’s an effort that involves every team member making the most of every workout, practice and strategy session to reach the sport’s ultimate showdown.
On the V Team, we have the same winning formula. It’s especially true when Verizon takes on a championship challenge like the Super Bowl, where we make sure the last thing customers have to worry about is getting a signal from Verizon. To give you a glimpse into our Super Bowl playbook, we asked Test Force engineer Brad Frank to take us on a tour around Las Vegas.
Be sure to check out the video for the full experience!
Tour Stop #1 - Allegiant Stadium
“We’ve been bolstering the network to make sure everything is as good as it can be for visitors and guests of the game.”
When any large sports event comes to town, nobody knows the amount of planning and perspiration that goes into it like the citizens who live in the area. Brad, a Las Vegas resident for the past two years, got a crash course on making things Super Bowl-ready. You might expect that preparation centers on the stadium, but that’s only the start for Brad and team.
“[In] the airport, we’re doing network upgrades … making the experience great from the moment you set foot in Vegas …”
Best of all, our upgrades aren’t temporary and will benefit Las Vegas far beyond game day.
Tour Stop #2 - The Sphere
Far·a·day cage /ˈferəˌdā kāj/ n.
a grounded metal screen surrounding a piece of equipment that excludes electrostatic and electromagnetic influences. (Oxford Languages, Feb. 2024)
When we come to a new place to make network improvements, we have to play the cards we’re dealt, so to speak. Sometimes, those cards include a 360-foot tall sphere that blocks more electricity than Lightning Lad, and we have to get creative.
“The structure’s … great big screen on the outside turns it into a Faraday cage, so whatever signals are on the outside, just flat don’t get in. So there was no question … we weren’t going to be able to [provide network coverage] from anywhere but inside.”
This challenge allowed us to cook up a new solution that combines LTE and C-band and keeps customers communicating inside and out.
Tour Stop #3 - The Network Control Command Center
“It’s where everything for the big game is going to be monitored.”
It’s the perfect place to monitor the network on game day, and beyond. The center will be Verizon’s new home base for monitoring the network. It gives the Test Force a prime location to monitor the entirety of the newly-improved Las Vegas network.
The majority of the capacity improvements are from the new C-band spectrum we deployed. Whether you’re at the airport, casino, stadium or home, this spectrum gives you the speed you need to stay informed and in touch.
A few final thoughts from Brad about being part of the Verizon Test Force
“[Verizon] gives you room to grow … enough [room for employees to] not always make the right decision but to recover from it and learn from it and develop yourself. It’s a great company to be with.”
