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With Wi-Fi Stadium Upgrade, Could Augmented Reality Be Next For New England Patriots?

New England Patriots president Jonathan Kraft tipped his hand at the team’s Mobility Summit in late September, saying that augmented reality would soon be a “big part of the in-game experience.” With the latest Wi-Fi upgrades to Gillette Stadium, it looks as though that innovation might be coming sooner than expected.

The Patriots recently partnered with Extreme Networks — its Official Wi-Fi and Analytics Provider — to launch the industry’s first advanced flow-based 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless technology at Gillette Stadium.

Not only did the implementation increase internet capacity 10G, add 30 miles of copper cabling and triple the number of Wi-Fi access points to 1,100, but it also affords the Patriots, who for years have been ahead of the innovation curve compared to a majority of the NFL, the ability to move forward with augmented reality.