Case Study: FC Cincinnati achieves 100% cashless, contactless, high‑performance fan experiences with HPE Aruba Networking

TQL Stadium ensures fans can focus on the action by delivering 100% digital experiences using an Aruba ESP network

FC Cincinnati’s TQL Stadium is a 26,000‑seat, soccer‑specific venue in Cincinnati that set out to deliver a fully cashless, contactless and mobile‑centric fan experience while operating under an IT‑as‑a‑Service model. The team needed a future‑ready, high‑performance and secure wired and wireless network that could be centrally managed and continuously evolved to support ticketing, rapid entry, point‑of‑sale, large‑scale video and back‑of‑house systems.

Working with Atomic Data, FC Cincinnati deployed an Aruba ESP solution—Wi‑Fi 6 access points, 7200 controllers, CX/3810/2930 switches, plus AirWave, ClearPass and NetEdit—staged off‑site to speed rollout. The network handled 16,000 food and beverage transactions at under 500 ms, powers a five‑mile LED video display with 48 multicast channels, supports 100% cashless mobile experiences, simplified management, accelerated deployment by weeks, and delivered a scalable platform that boosts fan engagement and profitability.

FC Cincinnati

Dan Lolli

Vice President of Facilities and Stadium General Manager