Startup Talk: Verizon invests $70 million to boost network for Super Bowl 50

Editor’s note: Each Thursday, Talk Business & Politics provides “Startup Talk,” a round-up of startup, technology and entrepreneurial news.

–––––––––––––––

VERIZON INVESTS $70 MILLION TO BOOST NETWORK SURROUNDING SUPER BOWL 50 SITE
In advance of Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, Calif., Verizon said it has invested more than $70 million to boost the wireless giant’s network through the Bay area leading up to the big game. In the past two years, Verizon said hundreds of employees have worked for nearly two years to prep for Super Bowl 50, boosting network performance in more than 10 major areas from San Francisco to Santa Clara, along with the three major area airports and several player and NFL hotels.

Part of that pre-game investment includes 16 new cell sites, 75 small cell installations, and a patented antenna system inside Santa Clara’s Levi Stadium to increase downlink speeds. Before and during the game, Verizon said it will deploy a special team of 100 technicians and engineers to monitor and manage the network in real-time both in San Francisco and in and around the stadium complex.

SURVEY: TECH INVESTORS EXPRESS GROWING CONCERNS ABOUT GLOBAL ECONOMY
As Apple, Amazon and eBay announce earnings results this week, investors are reporting that global economic issues are weighing on their outlook with a staggering 80% now expressing concerns about growth prospects and their potential impact on the sector, according to the Technology Sentiment Survey released by Corbin Perception.

Of those concerned about the technology sector, which remains of the last bastions of growth in the investment market, 30% say general macro conditions lead tech sector worries. Another 27% point to China’s growth deceleration as the chief driver of reserved views. Survey participants are most bullish on the Cloud, big data and analytics. The survey, part of Connecticut investor relation firm’s “Inside The Buy-side research group,” captures views from 43 investors and analysts globally who manage $1.4 trillion in total assets and have $57.8 billion invested in technology as of Sept. 30, 2015.

NETWORK AND IT OUTAGES COSTING BILLIONS IN LOST REVENUE, PRODUCTIVITY
In a new report on network outages and productivity, Boston-based business and analytics consulting firm IHS reports that, in aggregate, information and communication technology (ICT) downtime is costing North American organizations $700 billion per year. Research found that the cost of ICT downtime is substantial, from $1 million a year for a typical mid-size company to over $60 million for a large enterprise, IHS said.

The report, called “The Cost of Server, Application, and Network Downtime: North American Enterprise Survey and Calculator,” explores the frequency, length, cost and causes of ICT downtime experienced by North American organizations, such as server, application, and network outages or degradations. It includes a companion downtime calculator that enables the cost of downtime to be modeled based on company demographics, cost structure and downtime profile.