Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Case Study

Located just minutes from downtown Chattanooga, the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport is a first-class regional airport servicing business and leisure travelers from southeast Tennessee, north Georgia, and north Alabama.  The airport prides itself on offering all of the amenities their passengers expect without the hassle of expansive terminals, long delays, or large crowds. 

The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority wanted to remain a leader in the industry by deploying a wireless network that could be accessed by anyone on the premises.

Challenge

Building a wireless network for their customers and staff presented a challenge to the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority.  They had attempted to provide wireless in the past, but were disappointed with solutions that proved spotty and unreliable.   The airport needed a system that was reliable, could support many simultaneous users, and fit their budget.

Solution

After using Meraki products for a number of other projects, AirNet Group, a local Meraki partner, knew that Meraki would be a perfect solution to fit the needs of the airport.  They used five Meraki repeaters to cover the entire 160,000 sq. ft. airport.  Installation in the café, baggage claim, and terminal areas was quick: Chattanooga Airport officials and AirNet had the entire network installed within just a few hours.  Installation time included a secure mount of the Meraki hardware inside false ceilings and lighting soffits.  Finally, utilizing a 10mbps Internet connection provided by AirNet, the Meraki network automatically configured as soon as the products were powered on.

Since AirNet Group was responsible for ongoing support, they also needed a management service that would allow them to access the network remotely.  The web-based Meraki Dashboard suited their needs perfectly.  With the tools and features provided in Dashboard, AirNet Group could ensure that the Meraki mesh network remained fully operational and could make configuration changes remotely as needed.

Results

Meraki’s wireless solution has performed extremely well for the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority.  In its first few months of operation, the network supported over 10,000 users while at the same time exceeding uptime expectations.

The successful deployment has been a hit with travelers and allowed the Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority to maintain its leadership position.