Cobo Center Invests in Additional $2 Million Technology Upgrade
June 16, 2017
Detroit’s Cobo Center is working to stay ahead of the event technology curve by investing an additional $2 million in a network upgrade to support its 10-gigabyte (Gb) broadband offering.
The work includes the installation of 60 intermediate distribution frames (IDF) throughout the convention center that will reinforce and enhance the 10Gb broadband network now offered to Cobo Center customers.
“We are creating a network that will accommodate the largest technology power-using events in the industry,” said Claude Molinari, general manager of the Cobo Center, the 17th largest convention center in the U.S.
He continued, “We are particularly going after e-sports events and trade shows with augmented reality or virtual reality exhibits, expecting them to be a wave of the future.”
Cobo’s broadband supplier is Rocket Fiber, Detroit’s newest broadband company that boasts the fastest Internet in the world.
The company created a hub on Cobo Center’s property during the initial build-out of its fiber infrastructure, much of which is trenched along the new QLINE streetcar system that became operational in downtown Detroit on May 12.
The Cobo hub will create a fiber pipeline into the facility that will offer 10Gb broadband, enough for any high-tech event in operation currently.
The increased number of IDFs will allow for a more complex, flexible and robust system that is fully customizable to meet the needs of any event.
In addition, bandwidth usage up to 40GB is now built into the system for future adaptation.
“Our Technology Services Department is an area that will always require ongoing upgrades,” said Larry Alexander, chairman of the Detroit Regional Convention Facility Authority, the governing body of Cobo Center.
He added, “We are constantly analyzing the industry for current trends and making every needed adjustment to stay ahead of the curve.”
Recent technology upgrades at the center also created a captive Wi-Fi portal that provides the opportunity for events to have a custom splash page that can be sponsored, creating new revenue opportunities for show managers.
The entire Cobo Center network is supported with full redundancy to allow maintenance on the system without any interruption to service.
“With the recent upgrades, our Technology Services Department can now customize a network for the most tech-hungry events on the planet,” Molinari said. “We are ready to welcome events and visitors to the future in Cobo Center.”
For more information about Cobo Center’s technology services, go here.
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