Rock
Werchter Provides Wireless Experience for Festival Go-ers
Proxim
Wireless Corporation, a provider of end-to-end broadband wireless systems
that deliver quadruple play, reports that Live Nation Festivals Belgium
has purchased and deployed Proxim's wireless solutions for Wi-Fi connectivity
and wireless security and surveillance at the Rock Werchter festival,
due to take place July 3-6 this year in Werchter, Belgium.
Proxim's Tsunami™ MP.11 5054-R radios deliver the high-performance
wireless broadband access that will be needed to enable the CCTV wireless
surveillance systems, providing security for the 300,000 visitors expected
to attend the Rock Werchter festival this year. Real-time high-quality
images will be wirelessly streamed from the cameras to the police base
at the festival, as well as two other police stations in the nearby village
of Haacht and 15km away in the city of Leuven. Video is streamed to these
locations via a 45Mbps full duplex backbone, which is accomplished by
using Proxim's wireless Ethernet bridges.
Proxim's ORiNOCO® AP-700 Access Points will provide wireless hotspots
for artists, roadies and the event production team. The ten box offices
at the festival will also be wirelessly interconnected to the central
server using a Proxim Tsunami MP.11 5054 to provide real-time data processing.
The power supplies to the ATM machines are also monitored through wireless
technology in order to ensure that there is no disruption to service.
Furthermore, Live Nation Festivals Belgium will be selling drink tickets
on their website, so that customers can print barcoded e-tickets at home
and exchange them for drinks on site. The Proxim wireless network will
connect all the barcode scanners across the festival site to the central
server.
Multicap, a Proxim Distributor in Belgium, is responsible for configuring,
monitoring and troubleshooting the entire network at the event. Having
deployed wireless solutions for the past three years at Rock Werchter,
Multicap knows the terrain well. The Werchter festival ground has a large
number of tall trees and therefore requires the installation of radio
antennas on 37m high masts to enable the most effective backbone links.
'Our internationally renowned festival has been declared 'World's Best
Festival' by the industry. Last year we welcomed visitors from 58 different
countries and were presented with the 'Green 'n' Clean' award for environmentally-friendly
festivals. However, whenever a large number of people are in one place,
there needs to be caution, which is why we ensure the highest level of
security and surveillance during the festival. The Proxim Wireless network
ensures that police can monitor any trouble spots and have access to high
quality video,' explained Walter D'Haese, Production Director at Live
Nation Festivals Belgium.
'We know and trust Proxim's products, which are ideal for this deployment
where flexibility and ease of installation are key factors. The systems
must also be robust, reliable and secure since much depends on the success
of the network. Our experience of specifying and installing secure wireless
networks at Rock Werchter and other such outdoor events positions us in
good stead for successfully enabling this year's festival,' said Glenn
De Haes, Product Manager at Multicap.
'Being selected to provide the wireless network for such an important
regional event for three years in a row is a great validation of Proxim's
technology, especially considering the critical role the network plays
in the success and security of this event. Our large wireless product
portfolio provides our partners with a multitude of solutions which can
be configured and deployed rapidly,' added Simon Snowdon, Regional Sales
Manager at Proxim Wireless.
Web: http://www.proxim.com
Web: http://www.multicap.be
