Siklu, the global market leader in millimeter-wave solutions, has been selected by the city of Houston to provide wireless connectivity for the video surveillance system to be used for Super Bowl LIVE; a 10-day outdoor event in Houston which is expected to draw more than one million visitors as part of the pre-game festivities.
Siklu’s EH-600TX radios will be used to transmit video surveillance from the east side of downtown Houston, which will host the Super Bowl LIVE festivities from January 28 to February 5.
Super Bowl LIVE is a 10-day fan festival leading up to Super Bowl LI.
The outdoor festival, a free event with music, food, games and attractions, will beand will be held over several city blocks near a 12-acre urban park.
Super Bowl LIVE will include a “Houston Activation” area, which will encompass an entire city block. Houston LIVE is a unique area within Super Bowl LIVE dedicated to showcasing Houston’s diversity and innovation.
(Inside Edition was given access to the security command center where Super Bowl 51 is classified as a Tier 1 national security event. Courtesy of Inside Edition and YouTube)
Safety will be taken to new heights this weekend as U.S. Coast Guard helicopters will hover over Houston’s NRG Stadium on Super Bowl Sunday.
They are just one component of the massive security operation in place for the big game. F-16’s from the nation’s military will do flyovers throughout the weekend. There will also be a no-fly zone 30 miles around the stadium.
The high level of wireless activity that will take place is expected to create network congestion that Siklu’s radios will bypass by operating on the unoccupied, wide 60GHz spectrum, which is separate from traditional wireless consumer networks.
Siklu’s millimeter wave radios use narrow beam technology, eliminating interference from outside networks.
Siklu’s radios are part of a 36 megapixel camera deployment provided by Axis Communications, a PSIM system from VidSys, and a video management system from Genetec, all of which are being deployed by the Houston Police Department to monitor Super Bowl LIVE.
Using a mix of fiber and millimeter wave wireless from Siklu, the city is taking a hybrid approach to its network infrastructure for the event to ensure continuous interference-free video surveillance to enable the police department to monitor the area for issues.
The system offers fiber-like quality with the flexibility, speed of deployment and affordable cost associated with a wireless network.
“Given the size of this event, it was extremely important that we deployed a reliable security network that could provide continuous coverage over a large outdoor area,” said Jack Hanagriff, from the City of Houston’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security.
“We are expecting the Siklu radios to bulldoze through any wireless interference in the area caused by thousands of members of the public as they use their phones to stream video and photos.”
Siklu radios also provide a high-level network access security by operating over millimeter wave. The narrow beams make it practically impossible to intercept or jam, making the network secured from hackers and fully survivable
“The City of Houston and Police Department were concerned about camera coverage and congestion from numerous wireless networks and mobile devices,” said Shaun Castillo, President of Preferred Technologies, LLC, the lead integrator on this project.
“ Siklu radios provide the city with an extension of its fiber network by leveraging the interference free capabilities of millimeter wave technology.”
“We’re pleased that Siklu’s millimeter wave radios are an integral part of the Super Bowl Live security measures,” said Zeev Farkash, VP Global Sales at Siklu.
“As security needs continue to grow with large-scale events like these, it’s important to implement a reliable surveillance solution to ensure the safety of visitors. Siklu has exactly this experience and has provided wireless connectivity at many high profile events, including the New York City Marathon and the Tour de France.”
Siklu delivers multi-gigabit fiber-like wireless connectivity in urban, suburban and rural areas. Operating in the 60, 70/80 GHz bands, its millimeter wave solutions are used by leading security integrators, service providers, municipal authorities and mobile network operators worldwide.
Thousands of carrier grade units delivering interference-free performance have been successfully deployed world-wide. Easily installed on street-fixtures or rooftops, the price-competitive radios have proved to be ideal for networks requiring fast and simple deployment of secure, fiber-like and future-proof connectivity.
