Looks like the MLB is getting a technology upgrade! Days of the old dugout bullpen phones are coming to an end. Cell phones will soon be used.
MLB’s partnership with T-Mobile was unveiled Tuesday at CES (Shout out to our own TatWza that is out there now and will keep everyone updated on all the new tech news!).
Check out the report after the jump…
Via Darren Rovell at ESPN:
Phone calls between the dugout and bullpen will be made using cellphones this season as part of T-Mobile becoming the official wireless partner of Major League Baseball.
“Everyone wanted to make this deal happen,” said Tim Brosnan, MLB’s executive vice president of business. “It just took a while to get here.”
T-Mobile built the new On-Field Communication System, which is encrypted and won’t be compromised by the in-stadium wireless used by fans. The communication system uses geofencing, meaning the network won’t operate if the phones are taken into seats or the clubhouse.
“Technology had to be at the forefront of this deal,” said Mike Belcher, T-Mobile’s vice president of branded communication and experience marketing. “We’re coming into a sport that is rich in tradition, and we have to use technology to better the game both on and off the field.”
The phone system will use T-Mobile’s 4G network and a Samsung Galaxy 3, a standard phone that is available to consumers. However, the dugout phones will remain in place in case teams prefer to use them.
T-Mobile officials say they will make the multiyear partnership work through branding in dugouts and by making the stadium experience better for fans. The company promises to make wireless connectivity better in stadiums through cooperation with Major League Baseball Advanced Media, the digital arm of the league.
(STORY CONTINUES…)
Lead photo via YahooSports
