In the article “Want to See the Future of Mobile Coverage? Go to a Baseball Game,” author Kevin Fitchard discusses the future of mobile coverage, particularly citing the example of mobile base stations that Verizon has been implementing at Major League Baseball games in cities such as Detroit and Kansas City. What sets these mobile base stations apart, known as COWs (Cell on Wheels) and COLTs (Cell on Light Trucks) is their support of 4G.
Most arenas and stadiums are not known for their outstanding cellular coverage, and it does not seem like there has been any significant improvements as of late. Therefore, average or subpar network capability is simply just not going to cut it anymore at large scale events such as sports games or concerts. Using 4G at substantially vast events such as these might seem a little unnecessary to some, but in my opinion, this is the perfect avenue for Verizon to explore the limitations of their 4G network. Until now, the use of their 4G network has been essentially kept under control with its use in conventional settings such as towns or cities with several towers scattered across. Setting up mobile 4G stations will hopefully be the first step in an amplified 4G network capable of much faster speeds and processing ability.
Coincidentally, these COWs and COLTs will eventually be augmented with WiFi. Once that extension happens, I foresee much more technologically involved sporting events or concerts. With lightning fast connection speeds, just imagine being able to post song recommendations to your favorite band while seeing them live. Understanding how much their 4G network can handle at an event that holds tens of thousands of people in such a compact space could spur Verizon to making advancements that will allow for only one tower to support an even larger number of users. What I have in mind is basically comparable to WiMax. In fact, a partnership between WiMax and Verizon’s 4G network, while only theoretical, could be a potentially groundbreaking move in wireless communications.
An
example of the exact opposite of the success that Verizon is having with their
4G stations was recently seen at on Sunday, September 16, when the New England
Patriots’ stadium, Gilette Stadium, turned the building into a giant Wi-Fi
hotspot. The organization hoped to provide stellar connections but as noted in
the article covering this topic (http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-09-20/wireless-stadiums-the-next-best-thing-to-not-being-there),
the signal was rather weak. Perhaps this should be the next stop for Verizon to
implement their 4G mobile stations.
While
it may seem not seem obvious to the average individual, Verizon could use these
4G mobile base stations to their advantage in terms of competition and sales. Using
4G stations could become a major marketing and advertising maneuver that would be
aimed at gaining new customers. Their pitch would essentially be that they are
the only carrier capable of producing high quality cellular speeds at sporting
events or concerts. This could present an opportunity for Verizon to post
significant profits if executed correctly.
Sources:
http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-07-09/want-to-see-the-future-of-mobile-coverage-go-to-a-baseball-game
Verizon’s mobile base stations are a great idea. This innovation shows how this company is striving to be a product leader. They are going a step farther than their competitors with this technology. If they are ahead of their competitors they will make more money than them.
ReplyDeleteThese mobile coverage stations will make customers happy and will likely make other customers come. People always want service on their phone and will flock to the service with the best coverage. Using these at sporting events is a good idea. It is cheaper than building a new cell tower to be used a few hours a week. Instead they just drive in the truck and use it for a few hours, then drive it away. It is a cheap way to make customers happy. Not only is this a good tool for customer satisfaction, but it is also an excellent marketing device. If people with AT&T go to a football game and see this Verizon mobile coverage truck then they will be impressed. Then, when they get inside, they will have no service and wish they had Verizon. This will advertise to and attract many people.
I am skeptic if the gains of this new technology outweigh the costs. These trucks must cost a lot of money. Does the amount of customers gained from these trucks make it worth their while or is it just a tool to make their current customers happy. Furthermore, once AT&T realizes that this works they will start making these trucks. Verizon will then lose their competitive edge in the mobile coverage market.
This truck could also make a huge difference during disaster relief. Typically communications come down during a hurricane or earthquake making it hard for emergency workers and trapped civilians to get in contact with people. If these trucks were brought to areas affected by Hurricane Sandy then emergency workers could communicate where phone and power lines were down. This would make rescuing people much easier and far more organized. Furthermore, if someone were trapped on his or her roof, surrounded by water, they could call emergency workers and a rescue team could get there quickly. These mobile units could then save many lives and help emergency workers.
These trucks could also be implemented by the military. Instead of using radios, military unites could use mobile base trucks to relay messages from military base to military base. Furthermore, if the United States was ever attacked, the military could drive these trucks into the attacked city to get communications back up quickly and help track down survivors.