UBS Arena Belmont Park, New York

This is an excerpt of a case study. Read the full case study here.

Customer

UBS Arena is made for music and built for hockey. The venue will host about 150 events annually, with clear sightlines and premier acoustics from every seat. Opening its doors for the first time in November 2021, the $1.1 billion, 18,000-seat arena is the new home of the National Hockey League’s New York Islanders, replacing the shuttered Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Boasting high-end VIP suites and clubs, outdoor terraces, eight ice-view bars and a high-resolution scoreboard, UBS Arena’s goal is to be one of the nation’s most prestigious and inviting entertainment venues. It’s also the first venue of its kind in New York to be eligible for LEED v4 Building Design + Construction certification, with 2024 as the target date to achieve carbon-neutral operations.

Challenge

Taking a fan-first approach to technology, the 700,000-square-foot UBS Arena needed cabling and connectivity solutions that would support sophisticated sound systems, a 5G network, a distributed antenna system (DAS), New York’s largest scoreboard and two levels of high-resolution LED ribbon boards.

Public health and safety would also be at the forefront, so the venue’s network infrastructure needed to support these types of connected technologies as well—from automated ventilation systems to grab-and-go mobile ordering and contactless purchases.

The wireless network would need to support the seamless connection of tens of thousands of devices in the venue’s completely cashless environment. In addition, smart restroom technology would need to connect to the network to track and report on inventory levels and cleaning needs.

Discovery

UBS Arena was developed in partnership with Oak View Group, the New York Islanders and Jeff Wilpon; Belden had a solid relationship with the Oak View Group thanks to the successful completion of Climate Pledge Arena. Belden’s end-to-end cabling and connectivity solutions are used in many of the company’s projects across the country.

Solution

To create safe and exciting experiences, UBS Arena’s fan-first technology relies on Belden cabling and connectivity solutions.

Digital Electricity™ Cables were used to support the DAS that connect base transceiver station head-end equipment to the RFs/remote radio units placed around the venue. The DAS conditions, filters and combines 5G signals from wireless carriers to improve indoor wireless coverage and make sure signals reach the people and devices inside.

The arena’s 5G network supercharges the fan experience, allowing them to connect to the UBS Arena app to do everything from access digital tickets and order food to participate in team trivia and other gamification.

FiberExpress fiber and REVConnect® 10GXW Category 6A Cabling were also used to provide infrastructure for reliable Wi-Fi and mobile coverage.

Designed with outstanding noise immunity and reliability, REVConnect 10GXW specifically supports multi-gigabit, in-building wireless applications up to 10 Gb/s, as well as smart buildings and MPTL device connections.

REVConnect Category 6A Plugs—the only field-installable Category 6A plugs on the market—were used to achieve quick, easy and reliable termination. The plugs connect every lighting fixture, display and scoreboard to the network for remote monitoring, management and control.

When the pandemic hit the United States, work on UBS Arena was halted in late March 2020. Two months later, the project resumed once again—with no changes to the timeline or schedule. The fast and reliable termination process offered by Belden’s REVConnect Connectivity solutions saved valuable installation time while reducing rework and maintaining social distancing on the jobsite.

The system also allowed apprentices and new installers to complete mission-critical work after only 15 minutes of training—without any problems and without anyone having to check their work. REVConnect uses only one termination method for any and all components: couplers, cross-connect cords, jacks, plugs, etc.

Upon termination, connections can be tested to ensure proper performance. From there, cables can be pushed back into the wall or ceiling so finishing contractors can complete their work. Afterwards, a jack or plug body and faceplate can be installed. This process allows low-voltage installers to accelerate work to a certain point and then vacate the site so other contractors can work, preventing trades from crossing paths to create a safer environment.

Working with one partner for a complete infrastructure solution—including more than 6,700 cables—helped keep the project on track and streamline installation. Belden also helped the project team complete required site certifications quickly and made sure all installers received proper training on fiber and copper installation best practices to reduce rework and speed up deployment.

Thanks to Belden’s excellent distribution partners, thousands of cuts of data, IT, AV and security cables were completed for installers in order to make installation faster and easier.

Results

Despite the two-month standstill caused by the pandemic, UBS Arena was still able to host its inaugural game—the New York Islanders played the Calgary Flames—in November 2021 as planned.

Contactless payments reduce transaction and wait times, state-of-the-art HVAC systems control temperature and ventilation for improved air quality, and immersive sound and video offer unrivaled fan experiences—all supported by Belden cabling and connectivity infrastructure.

UBS Arena brings boutique hospitality together with live entertainment. As a result, it’s poised to be one of the nation’s most prestigious and inviting venues for concerts, games and other experiences.