Elevating the draft: How Verizon is powering Pittsburgh’s biggest football moment

As the football world turns its eyes to the Steel City for the upcoming NFL Draft, Pittsburgh is preparing to welcome hundreds of thousands of fans to its iconic North Shore and Downtown. At Verizon, our mission is simple: to ensure that while you’re witnessing history at Point State Park or Acrisure Stadium, your connection is seamless. 

We know that for fans, the moments that matter most aren't just the picks on the stage—they’re the video call to a friend back home, the instant social upload of the celebration, and the ability to check stats in real-time without a glitch. That’s why we’ve spent months modernizing the Pittsburgh Verizon network to provide a world-class experience for our customers.

To meet the massive data demands of the Draft, we haven't just added a few temporary fixes. We have fundamentally transformed the wireless landscape in Downtown Pittsburgh.

• Virtualized power: We’ve upgraded our infrastructure to advanced, virtualized RAN (Radio Access Network) equipment. This software-driven approach allows our network to be more flexible and responsive, shifting capacity to where the crowds are in real-time. It’s a smarter, faster way to manage the surge of data that comes with a global event.
• The C-band advantage: We have significantly boosted speed and capacity by deploying our C-band spectrum. Think of this as adding multiple new express lanes to a highway; it allows more people to move more data simultaneously at lightning-fast 5G speeds.
• Recognizing that the Draft experience begins the moment fans land, we’ve also upgraded to a new, state-of-the-art In-Building Distributed Antenna System (IB DAS) at Pittsburgh International Airport. This enhancement ensures that travelers enjoy high-capacity 5G connectivity from the gate to the stadium.

While our permanent upgrades will benefit Pittsburghers long after the last jersey is handed out, we’ve also deployed a "special teams" unit of temporary assets. To handle the dense clusters of fans at the Draft Experience and the main stage, we’ve added:

• Temporary portable cell sites: These mobile units provide targeted "bursts" of connectivity in high-traffic areas.
• Small cell enhancements: Dozens of discreet, low-powered antennas have been positioned throughout the North Shore to keep your signal strong even in the middle of a record-breaking crowd.

To ensure an exceptional experience for every fan, Verizon will operate a dedicated, 24/7 Command Center throughout the entirety of the Draft. This "mission control" will be manned by a team of expert network engineers monitoring performance in real-time across the North Shore, Downtown, and Point State Park. By utilizing advanced analytics and live heat maps, our team can proactively manage data traffic and instantly optimize connectivity in high-density areas. This around-the-clock vigilance provides an extra layer of reliability, giving you the peace of mind to stay fully immersed in the excitement of the Steel City.

Our investment in Pittsburgh is about more than just hardware; it’s about delighting our customers. Whether you’re a local Pittsburgher or a visitor traveling in for the festivities, our goal is to provide a network that works so well you don't even have to think about it.

From the first pick on Thursday to the final selection on Saturday, Verizon is proud to be the backbone of the 2026 NFL Draft, keeping you connected to the game, your friends, and the moments that define football history.