BASKING RIDGE, NJ – With the fall football season underway, and thousands of fans packing into stadiums across the country, finding ways to improve safety, elevate the guest experience, and reduce costs are just a few of the things venue operators may have on their minds. Verizon Business’s 5G Edge Accelerated Access, an innovative facility and venue access control solution, can help solve for these needs.

Leveraging Wicket's cloud environment, 5G Edge Accelerated Access is an opt-in solution that uses video analytics, facial authentication, and optional ticket scanning that is enabled by a mobile edge compute infrastructure. It authenticates the identity of a person via opt-in facial authentication for facility access and ticket redemption – all private and secured with end-to-end encryption.

The launch of Verizon’s 5G Edge Accelerated Access solution is part of the broader Verizon Business Connected Venue approach which is rooted in its 5G investment in more than 75 large public venues in the United States, including some of the most iconic major sports and music venues. Verizon brings a mix of public and private network capabilities, a robust technology partner ecosystem, and a set of 5G partnerships that enable leagues, teams, and stadium operators to create and deliver a first-class fan experience and achieve desired venue operations outcomes. Examples include autonomous or cashierless retail, Accelerated Access, and Crowd Analytics as a Service.