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Cabling & Wi-Fi

State Farm Arena Rolls Out Wi-Fi 7 as Venues Race to Keep Dense Networks Ahead of Demand

The Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena announced a multiyear technology partnership that includes a Wi-Fi 7 upgrade for fans, concertgoers and critical venue systems. It's a timely reminder that high-density wireless only works when the network and cabling underneath are ready for it.

By the VEXitEY team · · 3 min read

Network rack with rows of patch cables terminated in patch panels

On October 15, 2026, the Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena named Cisco a Proud Technology Partner in a multiyear deal centered on modernizing the arena's network. The headline piece is a Wi-Fi 7 rollout designed to keep guest phones, payment terminals and staff devices online at the same time, without the guest experience or back-of-house systems falling over.

According to the team's announcement, the upgrade is meant to help fans share content, pull real-time stats and navigate the building, while giving staff the performance needed for ticketing and point-of-sale systems. Those two workloads are the quiet stress test for any busy facility: guest traffic spikes, while payment and operations traffic can't wait. Kim Rometo, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology and Innovations Officer for the Hawks and State Farm Arena, said the partnership strengthens the venue's "foundational backbone" for fans, artists and guests.

Sports Business Journal reported that the Wi-Fi 7 work had already started around the announcement and was expected to wrap by the end of the year. The timing mattered. State Farm Arena was also preparing to host WNBA Finals games for the Atlanta Dream on short notice, alongside a packed Hawks and concert calendar. This wasn't a "someday" refresh. It was an infrastructure project racing the event schedule.

The partnership also includes a State Farm Arena Production Command Center powered by Cisco, a year-round space where live entertainment and production teams plan the in-venue experience. Last season, the Hawks ranked among the top three NBA teams in overall in-game experience and in-game technology in a league-wide season-ticket member survey, according to the team. That kind of result depends as much on reliable networks as it does on screens and show production.

What busy businesses can take from an arena

Density looks different in every building, but the pattern is familiar:

  • Guest and staff traffic share one airspace. Retail floors, fitness studios, restaurants, schools and offices all ask wireless to carry phones, POS, cameras, signage players and meeting-room gear at once. When coverage is uneven, guests notice first and operations feel it next.
  • The access points are only half the project. Wi-Fi 7 can move more data, but it still needs clean power, thoughtful placement, and multigig switching and cabling behind it. Smaller sites hit the same limits when a remodel, outdoor patio or event outgrows last year's design.
  • Flexibility beats a one-time "done" date. Rometo told Sports Business Journal the venue needed a network flexible enough to say yes to new activations, including outdoor coverage along State Farm Drive. Many businesses face a smaller version of that: seasonal lines, temporary classrooms, franchise openings or a lobby Audio & Video setup that suddenly runs all day.
  • Operations deserve the same planning as guest Wi-Fi. A command center is arena-scale language for something every busy brand needs: a reliable way to manage content, rooms and day-of operations without fighting the network.

A practical checklist

Survey real device density, not just headcount. Confirm whether your network closet switches and structured cabling can support next-generation access points. Separate or prioritize payment and operations traffic so guest streaming doesn't slow down the register. Plan for outdoor and overflow coverage if you host events. And treat wireless as part of a broader technology plan that includes Audio & Video spaces, digital signage and the wired network that keeps all of it stable.

How Vexitey helps

Vexitey designs and installs the structured cabling and wireless coverage behind busy spaces, from a single office to every location in a franchise. Our Managed IT team keeps the network running after go-live, and our Audio & Video work runs on the same well-planned network. If your Wi-Fi is struggling to keep up, contact us or call (815) 749-0600.

Sources

Wi-Fi 7 structured cabling wireless high-density networks State Farm Arena Atlanta Hawks managed IT Audio & Video

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