Tablet and smart phone owners will be ecstatic to learn that a fast and easy connection to the internet is now available at Rosehill Gardens Racecourse, in time for the big Easter Saturday Rosehill Guineas meeting and the Tooheys New Golden Slipper the following week.
Australian Turf Club has invested a significant amount installing a robust, high density WiFi network capable of servicing thousands of mobile devices concurrently throughout the racecourse precinct.
Racegoers can now tap into this high-speed internet stream allowing them to read the latest form, glance at the odds, place a wager or even log onto Twitter and brag about theirwinnings.
“This is a great step forward,” commented Racing NSW Chief Executive, Peter V’landys.
“The ATC has commenced utilising the $24 million grant provided through the merger agreement with this smart project.
“These funds were intended for projects that improve the racegoer experience and a free, high quality WiFi network certainly does that. Customer access to the internet is extremely important in our industry so this is a very positive initiative.”
The new WiFi service is quick, secure and importantly, is free of charge to racegoers who log onto the system with their smart phones and tablet devices. It will be a major driver in providing better service to racegoers, overcoming the common customer complaint at major sporting events that they were unable to access their network. This is vital at racetracks with many racegoers keen to access wagering operators and friends via social media networks.
“Our high-density WiFi allows racegoers premium access to the internet,” explained ATC’s IT Manager, Pablo Pelaez. “It also allows ATC to customise information for our patrons to provide an enhanced on-course experience.”
Xirrus – the WiFi system provider – was chosen after they successfully implemented a similar system at the US Open Tennis Tournament. The system is of the highest quality for performance, speed and reliability, with security of patron’s intellectual property also a high priority.
“We performed a thorough audit of our racecourses to ensure a high quality signal was available,” Mr Pelaez said.
The new WiFi commenced operating at Rosehill Gardens during last Saturday’s Coolmore Classic Day and handled the heavy volume of traffic with ease. A similar system is also planned for the newly developed Royal Randwick.
Source: Racing NSW
