Case Study: United Center achieves superior fan experience and high-capacity Wi‑Fi performance with RUCKUS Networks

The largest indoor arena takes fan experience to new heights thanks to Wi-Fi redesign by RUCKUS Networks

The United Center, Chicago’s nearly 1‑million‑square‑foot arena and home to the Bulls and Blackhawks, faced an aging, end‑of‑life Wi‑Fi system that couldn’t handle post‑COVID crowds, modern apps or varied seating configurations. The venue needed a scalable, secure large‑public‑venue (LPV) upgrade with full coverage (including atrium and staff areas), better analytics and a deployment plan that wouldn’t disrupt its near‑constant event schedule.

RUCKUS Networks and American Tower redesigned the network with an LPV Professional Services‑led 3D RF plan and a mix of under‑seat, embedded and outdoor APs—more than 700 R650/R750/T750 APs—plus ICX switches, SmartZone controllers, RUCKUS AI and Cloudpath for onboarding and security. The result: reliable, high‑capacity coverage across the campus, smooth in‑seat ordering and streaming, improved analytics and security, support for bursts of heavy use (1.7 TB during a 15,000‑fan event), and ongoing professional support to keep the network tuned for future expansion.

United Center

Bob Gorman

Senior Director, Technical Operations