Mobile network enables modern visitor experience
The SNØ skiing facility is a state-of-the-art indoor arena that allows year-round snow experiences and skiing for both amateurs and professional skiers alike. The exterior of the building is inspired by glaciers and the interior by mountain caves. The facility just outside Oslo is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.
But unlike a traditional indoor skiing facility, SNØ has no reception or physical ski lift passes. Instead, visitors use digital entrance passes on their mobile phone. A ‘SNØpass’ is purchased online in advance and visitors access the snow zone, lockers and changing rooms by scanning a QR code on their mobile phone.
Installing a ‘best in class’ mobile network
As the facility’s mobile network is fundamental to its day-to-day operations and visitor access, SNØ required a reliable mobile network that provides 100 per cent mobile coverage for up to 5,000 people. Telenor designed the mobile network and Eltel provided support with equipment procurement and managed the entire installation.
“The project involved installing ten antennas and 12 repeaters in cold zone on a technical walkway under the roof, 140 indoor antennas in the warm zone, 7,500 m of coax electrical cable and 2,200 m of fibre cable,” explains Silje Kristiansen, Project Manager at Eltel Networks. “The facility offers full 2G and 4G coverage for all Norwegian network operators throughout the building, and Telenor has rated the network as ‘best-in-class’ in their network speed test.”
Overcoming challenges for a successful project
“No one had installed a network in a Norwegian indoor skiing facility before, with all the practical and technical challenges this involves,” says Kristiansen. “One challenge involved overcoming a software issue with repeaters in the cold zone, which required collaboration with our equipment supplier to make sure that the network provided full coverage at both indoor and outdoor temperatures within the same facility.”
Other challenges included installing equipment on the slope and working on a site with up to 200 other people at the same time.
“We had to dig trenches on the slope as foundations to stabilise our construction lifts – this was before it had been covered with snow,” says Kristiansen. “Challenges regarding the busy site were overcome thanks to our permanent site presence, by attending all construction meetings and collaborating closely with the different contractors. I think this good teamwork and collaboration with the entire team was key to the project’s success.”
Facts about SNØ
- Opened January 2020
- Striking architecture
- 500 m alpine slopes in varied terrain – from beginners’ slope to professional downhill course
- Ski lift with four seats
- Ski park with rails, boxes and ski jump
- 1.5 km four-track cross-country ski trail
- A ‘warm zone’ including cafés and restaurants, equipment rental and shops
- www.snooslo.no
