Convention center wired for access

Anyone with a personal computer has learned it's impossible to keep up with the pace of technological change.

The latest models are obsolete by the time they're out of the box.

When the desktop is 500,000 square feet and upgraded only once in every 20 years, the right equipment has to be chosen to fulfill the needs of new forms of communication.

The recently completed remodel at the Reno Convention Center brought the facility into the 21st century by meeting current requirements of users and trying to anticipate the future of communication and computing needs.

Potential exhibitors often conduct technical site surveys of a convention space in addition to being sold on the location for a meeting.

They look for power capabilities first: load capacities and accessibility.

Onstage live demonstrations require T-1 lines to be available.

Remote presentations, such as a CEO broadcasting from his jail cell, require satellite links.

Security has become an important consideration for convention center users in the new environment.

Perhaps most importantly, the potential user looks at cost effectiveness.

So how does the new facility compare with other convention centers it will be competing with for business? "We'll compare very well with all convention centers on the West Coast," said Joe Walther, senior events coordinator at the Reno Sparks Convention and Visitors Bureau.

He predicted there will be many technology- based events in the center's future.

The 2007 Super Computing show should stress everything that was done to improve the facility.

"Before the remodel, we basically had only electricity and Cat-3 phone lines," he laughed.

Now the phone lines are Cat-5 fiber high-speed data cable.

Sierra Pacific power provides the electricity, and SBC Nevada Bell provides the fiber cable.

The recent remodel brought other technological additions to the building: * Dedicated T-1 lines to the show floor.

A T-1 line is a dedicated phone connection supporting data rates of 1.544 Mbits per second.

Each T-1 line consists of 24 individual channels, each of which supports 64K bits per second.

Each 64K bit/second channel can be configured to carry voice or data traffic.

Telephone companies allow you to buy just some of these individual channels, known as fractional T-1 access.

ISPs usually use T-1 lines for businesses connecting to the Internet backbone.

The Internet backbone itself consists of faster T-3 connections.

The recent worldwide build out of fiber cable created international networks of T-1 lines that represent huge amounts of unused capacity for data transfer.

Usage is expected to explode in future years as new applications become commonplace.

* An in-house ISP (Internet service provider), provided by PSC World, the company chosen several years ago as the facility's telecommunication provider.

Exhibitors will not have to establish their own Internet connections for a show.

(This might provide a little extra security in the connection a technical advisor commented.) * Satellite links, two new dishes to receive broadcasts to the facility.

* Up to 100 Mbs network speed.

* 10,000 terminal ports (a very large cybercafe).

*Wireless pocket phone and LAN service availability.

Wireless LAN technology lets a handheld or pocket PC user communicate with a desktop computer or network over short distances, providing un-tethered access to data, e-mail, and the Internet.

This technology uses short-range, wireless transceivers (known as "access points") connected to a network at various physical locations throughout an organization and a wireless LAN card installed in the handheld or pocket PC.

LAN is still expensive, and suffers from interference from walls, closed doors, microwave ovens, cordless phones or paging systems.

It's interesting to note that the "network" can be a single computer, like the one sitting on your desk at home.

Consequently, wireless LAN technology is great (though little expensive) for home use.

It's still on the horizon for general use.

* A surveillance/building monitoring system.

John Whitlow was the lead design architect with the Seattle firm LMN Architects.

He proudly pointed to the coordination of a team of over 20 architects, and over 55 contributors including all consultants.

He referred my technology questions to Ron Baker of Wrightson, Johnson, Haddon and Williams, Inc.

of Dallas, Texas.

NNBW: Were all the technological additions new to the center or just improvements on existing capacity? Baker: WJHW was involved in three distinct areas for the convention center: voice/data (telecom), surveillance/building monitoring and sound systems.

The upgrades for the voice/data portion involved extending additional capacity to many more permanent locations instead of relying on temporary cabling that had been used in the past.

Also, the building has much more fiber optic cabling throughout to better service present and future demands.

The surveillance/building monitoring is essentially a new capability that did not exist previously.

Exterior doors now have sensors that alert the security office when the doors are opened.

In may cases, cameras are located to be able to observe what activity is occurring at these doors, and selected rooms have electric locks linked to electronic locks.

These features are intended to help the building security officers remain aware of when someone enters or leaves the building during off-hours.

NNBW: Has technological change challenged the convention business?

Baker: One of the biggest changes we've seen is the increased dependence on high bandwidth access to the Internet and other remote sources for presenters.

NNBW: LAN's service and wireless pocket phones didn't need support a few years ago, what things might be on the horizon in the next few years? Baker: Having a flexible and modern in-house cable plant is essential to serving the vast amount of needs demanded by current conventions.

Reno-Sparks now has the cable infrastructure to meet the expected needs for many years to come.

Wireless LANs are still not able to provide the bandwidth, capacity and security that users expect for the large number of potential users at a typical convention.

While there is every reason to expect the wireless options will become more viable in the future, at this time the hardwired version is still superior.

NNBW: How do the satellite links work? Are they flexible, can they transmit? Baker: A satellite dish has been provided for those times when an event or presenter needs to receive a program or signal from a remote location.

The dish is receive-only and would be aimed and configured on an event basis.

One typical application would be a remote video conference.

NNBW: Are the T-1 lines dedicated for each user? Baker: The convention center has a certain number of T-1 lines for voice and data used in conjunction with their dayto- day activities.

There is extensive spare incoming capacity, so it is easy to activate additional service for a specific event.

NNBW: Are there media hookups for TV crews? Baker: Other than some dedicated empty conduits into the building, there are no special TV crew positions.

NNBW: Is there wireless internet access? Baker: No wireless provisions were included in our design, but it is very easy to ad this at any time in the future.