Plan a project

Reported deployment

Reported CBRS private cellular network at a ballpark (Petco Park)

A Boingo Wireless case study; outcomes are vendor-reported and not independent measurements.

Reviewed Sep 30, 20266 sourced facts
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Details

Organization
Petco Park (San Diego Padres)
Industry
professional sports venue
Current operating status
Launched
Project date
announced October 19, 2021
Not stated by sources
Region

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Overview

Boingo Wireless and the San Diego Padres announced on October 19, 2021 a private cellular network on CBRS (Citizens Broadband Radio Service) spectrum covering Gallagher Square, a community gathering space at Petco Park, for staff to process cash-free payments, contactless concessions, and mobile ticketing.[1] The Padres' CEO said the team wanted a standalone, closed network it could place exactly where coverage was needed, running alongside the stadium's public network.[1] Stadium Tech Report described it as a small network for the iPad Pros staff use, built with gear and services from Federated Wireless, Cisco, and CommScope/Ruckus, and said Boingo did not disclose how many antennas it uses.[2]

At a glance

Organization
The San Diego Padres at Petco Park.[1]
Location
Gallagher Square at Petco Park. Boingo describes the space as inside the ballpark;[1] Stadium Tech Report describes it as adjacent to the stadium.[2]
Date reported
October 19, 2021.[1]
Spectrum
CBRS.[1] Stadium Tech Report says Boingo described it as unlicensed CBRS spectrum.[2]
Technology
Boingo calls the network 5G-ready.[1] Stadium Tech Report judged it was almost certainly running 4G LTE at launch.[2]
Scale as reported
Not publicly stated. Boingo did not reveal the number of antennas or staff users; it told Stadium Tech Report that Gallagher Square holds about 13,000 people for concerts.[2]
Vendors and roles
Boingo Wireless: network provider.[1] Federated Wireless (spectrum-sharing services), Cisco, and CommScope/Ruckus supplied gear, software, or services, according to Boingo as reported by Stadium Tech Report.[2]
How it was described
Stadium Tech Report called it the first commercial, non-test CBRS deployment in a stadium it had heard of,[2] while RCR Wireless described it as a trial deployment.[3]
Status
A Boingo vice president still listed Petco Park among Boingo's private network launches in June 2023.[4] No later status was found.

How the network is used

  • Staff iPads for scanning tickets and processing concession sales.[3][2]
  • Cash-free payments, contactless concessions, and mobile ticketing in Gallagher Square.[1]
  • Moving operational traffic off the public network: RCR Wireless reported that the private network adds bandwidth back to the public network in the area.[3]

Reported results

As reported by the sources below; not independently verified.

  • The Padres' CEO told RCR Wireless the private network can support the backbone of ballpark operations while conserving public-network bandwidth for fans, and that he hoped to expand it to other parts of the ballpark over time.[3]
  • No measured performance results were published.[1][2]

Timeline

  1. In an ACI-NA blog post, a Boingo vice president cites the Petco Park network as powering outdoor mobile point-of-sale transactions.[4]

  2. Padres CEO Erik Greupner and Boingo CEO Mike Finley are scheduled to discuss the launch in a keynote at Mobile World Congress Los Angeles;[1] RCR Wireless later reported their remarks from the event.[3]

  3. Boingo and the Padres announce the CBRS private network at Gallagher Square.[1]

How to interpret this record

This record keeps the source's anonymous customer label and reported status. A case study does not establish current operation, reproducible performance, or independent verification.

Sources

Researched Oct 1, 2026. Manufacturer and vendor statements are their claims, not independent tests.

  1. Boingo and the San Diego Padres Team Up to Expand Wireless Coverage at Petco Park — Boingo Wireless, Oct 19, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  2. Padres, Boingo team on small CBRS network for Petco Park — Stadium Tech Report, Oct 19, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  3. Boingo exploring private network opportunities with Petco Park trial — RCR Wireless News, Nov 3, 2021. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.
  4. Airport 5G Update: Leveraging CBRS for Smart Operations — Airports Council International-North America (post by Boingo Wireless), Jun 9, 2023. Accessed Oct 1, 2026.

Every detail in the table at the top comes from these sources. Open the source details for each fact’s publisher, evidence type, date, and where it appears.

Source details (6)
SOURCEOrganization

Petco Park (San Diego Padres)

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: HeadlineChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEIndustry

professional sports venue

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: SubheadlineChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEOperating status

launched

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: BodyChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEProject date

announced October 19, 2021

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: DatelineChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEReported use case

staff cash-free payments, contactless concessions and mobile ticketing in Gallagher Square

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: First paragraphChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated

SOURCEVendors Named

Boingo Wireless (network uses CBRS spectrum)

Boingo Wireless ↗Vendor case studyLocation in source: BodyChecked Sep 30, 2026Source date: not stated