If you’ve been to a football game in Shiner or La Vernia this season, you may have noticed more than touchdowns, marching bands and cheerleaders. Thanks to GVEC, both stadiums have added stadium-wide Wi-Fi to their playbook, keeping fans connected on game night.
That means live-streaming your kid’s game-winning catch, uploading halftime performances or checking scores from around the district—all without draining your data plan.
The MVP behind this win? GVEC’s GigaPro setup, including a dedicated 1 Gbps Fiber connection straight to the press box and antennas strong enough to serve up to 50 Mbps within a 300-foot radius. Translation: fast, free internet that reaches across the entire stadium, into the bleachers and onto the field.
John Thurmond, technology director for Shiner ISD, summed it up well, “In a small town, it’s where you will find everyone on a Friday night. But the stadium is also used regularly by individuals and as a year-round hub for various community activities. We are proud to work with GVEC on improving the Wi-Fi capabilities to better serve so many while maintaining the appropriate network control we need.”
To log on, fans enter their name and email, accept basic terms and conditions, and they’re connected. School officials have worked closely with GVEC to ensure the Wi- Fi networks include appropriate content filters. “We are grateful for this partnership with GVEC,” said Dr. Hensley Cone, La Vernia ISD superintendent. “Providing safe, reliable and family-friendly Wi-Fi access at our campuses during events helps strengthen community connections and enhances the overall experience for our students, families and visitors.”
This upgrade is part of GVEC’s SmartBiz program—an internet solution designed for small businesses, with customized networks, user portals, and all the security trimmings. As soon as GVEC learned about this technology, it became clear that it was suited for far more and began working to implement it in a community setting right away.
Besides Friday night football, the stadiums host Pee Wee football games on the weekend, soccer games, track and field days in the spring and locals use the facilities for exercise year-round. Boosting the signal makes it much more convenient to live-stream a game or listen to music while walking around the track. The built-in content filter and scheduler tool add to the safety and convenience of managing a public network.
La Vernia and Shiner are among the first to score these high-tech enhancements, not just because of their team spirit, but because GVEC already provides fiber internet to the cities and surrounding areas, making installation a seamless next step.
It’s just one more way GVEC is turning a solid connection into a winning play. Curious about SmartBiz or other internet perks? Visit www.gvec.net.
