Overcoming challenges at the Oregon Country Fair

The Oregon Country Fair is a three-day festival in a forested area with very limited cellular coverage. Most of the area has no grid power. Over 900 artisans and 9 …

The Oregon Country Fair is a three-day festival in a forested area with very limited cellular coverage. Most of the area has no grid power. Over 900 artisans and 90 food vendors serve upwards of 40,000 visitors during the July event. Providing payment card access to the nearly 1,000 vendors has been an ongoing challenge. The OCF IT crew has leveraged cable system technology to deploy a distributed wi-fi network throughout the fairgrounds. Challenges include powering the radio equipment, good coverage in the foliage, limiting access to necessary services, and environmental issues as the area is a flood zone in winter. Using CMTS and coaxial cable trunk lines was the key. Wireless nodes are powered via the distribution cable. The same network is also used for operational needs, security, etc.