AT&T^®, which is one of the best internet providers in the country, has struck a deal with the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for providing increased bandwidth for Wi-Fi network connectivity at the venue. With this new partnership deal, AT&T^® has become the official communications provider of the stadium. Moreover, this deal will make Mercedes-Benz Stadium the most connected venue across the whole nation.

As a part of the deal, the carrier will also setup a permanent interactive gathering place known as the AT&T^® Perch located in the concourse above the west end zone of the stadium. The press releases have stated that the Perch will consist of multiple screens in a digital media column. It will allow fans to come together and watch the NFL content along with access to DirecTV^® programming, NFL Redzone, and other offered content.

According to the deal, AT&T^® will offer two redundant 40 GB internet connections for powering the 1800 wireless access points distributed across the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. By deploying this large bandwidth network connectivity, AT&T^® intends to use its best internet service for delivering high-speed Wi-Fi connectivity within the stadium.

The Wi-Fi network deployed in the stadium will utilize under-seat AP deployments in the seating bowl. Moreover, the carrier will also offer monitoring and maintenance of the Wi-Fi systems deployed in the stadium. AT&T^® also intends to link the IPTV system of the stadium with its DirecTV^® service for distributing High Definition video content across the 2000 digital displays installed in the stadium. The stadium will formally open for hosting the National Football Leagues’ Atlanta Falcons and Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United.

One of the surprising aspects of the stadium networking is the absence of any mentioning regarding AT&T’s contribution on the DAS network. Previously the carrier has been mostly focused in funding DAS in large public venues and has withdrawn from providing Wi-Fi deployments in stadiums. Besides, the recently released reports never specified any details regarding the availability of SSID or reserved network spaces for the customers.

It is to be noted that Verizon^® Wireless has been the major contributor in deploying Wi-Fi networks across the stadium and has aided in the funding of Wi-Fi deployments across many NFL stadiums in the country such as Denver, Seattle, Houston, Green Bay, etc. However, with this move, AT&T^® is now offering its contribution in the network deployments at the AT&T^® Park in San Francisco and AT&T^® Stadium located in Texas.