Patchy cell service at Michigan Stadium impedes new student loyalty program during Air Force game
When more than 110,000 people gather in small area not regularly populated by such large crowds, cell phone service is bound to be patchy at best.
The Michigan Daily reports that patchy service during the Michigan v. Air Force game prevented some students from checking into the game through the loyalty program mobile app.
The app requires students to check in upon arrival and uses GPS devices to confirm a student's location. Students receive loyalty points for attending athletic events and can earn prizes, including T-shirts and preferred seating.
“Historically, cell service and data is slow in the stadium with all those people in such a small area,” athletic department marketer Angela Thick told the newspaper.
The Daily reports that the department can track student attendance though tickets scanned at the gate and that officials plan to contact students enrolled in the student loyalty program to confirm they received their points.
It's likely cell phone service won't improve in the Big House without action by the department, and Thick told The Daily U-M is looking into options to improve coverage.
If mobile coverage is inadequate, students enrolled in the loyalty program can also check in at an I-Pad station at Michigan Stadium.
This is the first year U-M has employed a student loyalty program.
Read the full Daily report here.
Comments
thedime
Thu, Sep 13, 2012 : 11:19 a.m.
Sprint/Nextel regularly have temporary, portable cell booster equipment on site during large events at MIS. You would think that ATT, as one of DB's corporate goona would follow the same lead and provide this service. As long as you have service in the luxury seating area, that is all that matters.
Grad Student
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 3 p.m.
I live close to the stadium, and I have no cell service during games. Since I don't have a land line, this can be problematic. I don't care about service in the stadium, but it would be nice if AT&T would spend some of their corporate sponsorship dollars to prevent mass outages in the surrounding areas. Just sayin'.
A2comments
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 10:39 a.m.
Mistake to launch loyalty program w/o infrastructure to support it.
Ron Granger
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 4:58 p.m.
OMG! I cant pssibly spnd a few hrs out of cntct wit my fcbk frnds!!1
hail2thevict0r
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 4:34 p.m.
I personally like how they always put up trivia on the big screens and ask people to text in their answers to get a chance to win tickets. I've been able to maybe get 1 or 2 text messages to ever send out during a football game - ever - at Michigan stadium.
xmo
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 2:51 p.m.
AT&T is a corporate sponsor of Michigan Athletics, Use Your Muscle Mr. U of M Athletic Director! or are you a "WIMP"?
GoNavy
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 2:20 p.m.
Patchy service? Few people have a real grasp on the amount of infrastructure required to service the data requirements 110,000 smartphones in such a small area.
Craig Lounsbury
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 3:36 p.m.
so why then would they expect students to "check in" using the patchy service? That is the real question.
CunningStunt
Tue, Sep 11, 2012 : 1:41 p.m.
When I was at State, they checked the time of arrival when they scanned your ID, no issues ever. Using cell service during a football game, where it is notoriously patchy? That's the Michigan Difference.
A2comments
Wed, Sep 12, 2012 : 10:38 a.m.
UM doesn't scan IDs, they visually inspect them.