Super Bowl 50 in Silicon Valley Gets a Boost From Tech
Get ready for the "techiest" Super Bowl ever.
— -- Silicon Valley is putting its high-tech touch on Super Bowl 50 to make game day an experience unlike any other.
The road to this year's Super Bowl wouldn't have been possible without the Bay Area's most high-profile tech companies, including Apple, Google, Intel and Hewlett Packard, among others, who helped raise $30 million for San Francisco's bid committee, according to the mayor's office. The showdown between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos will be held at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, this Sunday -- a venue that reflects the spirit of its high-tech neighbors.
Here's a look at some of the technology that will help power this year's Super Bowl Sunday:
Internet Access
Levi's Stadium, which opened its doors in 2014, boasts free Wi-Fi from XFINITY by Comcast -- and it actually works. Fans are never more than 10-feet from a Wi-Fi signal when in their seats thanks to one access point being installed for every 100 seats. For a stadium that has a capacity of 68,500, that's impressive.
How Levi's Stadium Will Handle the Technological Load
The stadium is outfitted with 400 miles of cable and 1,300 Wi-Fi access points to support the massive load of data being sent by fans in the stadium -- presumably Facebook photos, videos and tweets memorializing their Super Bowl experience.
The Fan Experience
Fans lucky enough to be at Super Bowl 50 will also get the VIP treatment through the Super Bowl 50 app, which will allow them to order drinks that can be delivered to them without ever requiring them to leave their seats.
San Francisco 49ers fans have already enjoyed the feature in the Levi's Stadium app. One change for the Super Bowl: Food won't be delivered but fans can instead place an order for pick-up, expediting the process and making sure they don't miss a moment of the game.
Tech Not to Bring
It will come as no surprise that drones are on the contraband list for the Super Bowl. The Federal Aviation Administration has also issued temporary flight restrictions within a 32-mile radius of the stadium on game day. The restrictions will be in effect from 2 p.m. to 11:59 p.m. on Sunday.