Crown Castle Deploys Distributed Antenna System At Amway Center

HOUSTON, March 24, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Crown Castle International Corp. (NYSE:CCI) today announced that one of its subsidiaries has deployed a neutral host distributed antenna system ("DAS") to facilitate wireless communication services to all 875,000 square feet of the Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. The system is expected to provide enhanced wireless voice and data coverage for up to five wireless carriers.

"Fans attending major sporting events and concerts want to share their experience and stay connected via their mobile devices by sharing calls, texts and photos with friends and family across the country before, during and after events at the center," said Pat Slowey, Crown Castle's Senior Vice President – Sales and Customer Relations.  "For venues looking to provide wireless coverage on game day or during other events, a DAS network provides the optimal wireless infrastructure solution."

The new Amway Center features eight levels, five public concourses, and can seat up to 20,000 people. To provide enhanced wireless coverage for fans and staff throughout the Amway Center, an indoor DAS network was deployed. The system is comprised of antennas connected by fiber to a communications hub designed to facilitate wireless communications for multiple carriers. 

"The Amway Center is revolutionizing the way fans watch a live basketball game or concert," said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. "The building is the most technologically advanced center in the country, featuring more than 1,100 high-definition television screens and a state-of-the-art digital signage network throughout the building, which maximizes fan engagement and interaction and provides patron information. The additional wireless coverage provided by the DAS network will further enhance our attendees' experiences."

"Crown Castle is a pioneer in the design, deployment and monitoring of neutral host DAS networks. As a leading provider of shared wireless infrastructure in the US, Crown Castle has long term relationships with all major wireless carriers," stated Jim Young, Crown Castle's Chief Operating Officer. "We work directly with the carriers to lease capacity on the system, enabling the venue owner to enjoy incremental revenue without the burden of coordinating deployment, installation, and maintenance of the system. More importantly, the venue can deliver one of their primary objectives, ensuring a superb wireless experience for fans at the venue before, during and after an event."