Notre Dame Stadium became the first outdoor college venue to implement Wi-Fi 6E this fall. To do so, the University of Notre Dame’s Office of Information Technology partnered with PIER Group to overhaul the stadium’s wireless network.

Wi-Fi 6E standard power taps into a new part of the Wi-Fi “highway” in the 6 GHz band, offering faster speeds, stronger connections and less congestion — even in packed venues.

For fans of the Fighting Irish, that means reliable streaming, no dead zones and a consistently strong signal no matter where they’re sitting.

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The 6E Wi-Fi infrastructure is built to handle these data-heavy applications even in a sold-out stadium. Ticketless entry, in-seat concessions ordering and many other aspects of the fan experience are also supported by this network. The technological innovation will also benefit stadium staff through improved crowd management, optimized concessions and advanced security monitoring.

To preserve the aesthetics of the historic stadium, the network was designed to be as invisible as it is reliable, Buysse said. More than 1,100 access points were carefully installed across the stadium, seamlessly integrated into the architecture to maintain the venue’s iconic look.

For special events, such as concerts or movie nights, the team also introduced flexible, movable Wi-Fi setups that ensure coverage wherever needed — even on the field.

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The University has embraced a Wireless First initiative, a three-pronged plan to install cutting-edge wireless technology all over campus. The 6E standard wireless network is future-proofed to accommodate the growing needs of the University, in sports as well as academics and research.