LongFi rolls out Passpoint Wi-Fi for World Cup host-city venues

By AI, Created 5:45 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – LongFi Solutions is deploying carrier-grade, Passpoint-enabled Wi-Fi at hospitality venues in Houston, Miami and other U.S. host cities ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026™. The aim is to keep phones connected in crowded bars, rooftops, restaurants and fan zones before, during and after matches.

Why it matters: - FIFA World Cup 2026™ is expected to drive heavy fan traffic far beyond stadium gates, putting pressure on mobile networks in bars, restaurants, rooftops, hotels, parking lots and neighborhood gathering spots. - LongFi Solutions is positioning venue Wi-Fi as a way to keep rideshare apps, mobile tickets, contactless payments, messaging and live video working when cellular service gets congested. - The company says the deployments are permanent infrastructure that will remain useful after the tournament ends.

What happened: - LongFi Solutions announced a rollout of carrier-grade, Passpoint-enabled Wi-Fi at hospitality venues across U.S. host cities ahead of FIFA World Cup 2026™. - Live deployments are already operating in Houston and Miami. - Additional host-city venues are scheduled to come online before the tournament opens on June 11. - The final match is scheduled for July 19. - LongFi Solutions is Houston-based.

The details: - Fans on participating carriers connect automatically when they enter a supported venue. - The system requires no Wi-Fi password, splash page or sign-up. - Passpoint, also known as Hotspot 2.0, lets a device authenticate securely to Wi-Fi using carrier credentials already stored on the phone. - For venue operators, LongFi can work with existing Wi-Fi networks or add new infrastructure if needed. - The platform combines Wi-Fi 7 access points, 6 GHz spectrum, directional antennas and encrypted carrier authentication pathways. - The network is designed to work alongside venue cameras, point-of-sale systems, production crews and temporary event connectivity. - In Houston’s East Downtown district, LongFi deployed at Sunset Rooftop Lounge, a rooftop bar with a fully retractable roof and skyline views. - Sunset is one of several Houston venues already live on the LongFi network, with more deployments in progress. - In Miami, LongFi is supporting El Patio Wynwood and Mayami in the Wynwood arts district. - Mayami is a 10,000-square-foot Mayan Revival-inspired cantina from the El Patio team.

Between the lines: - The rollout targets a common failure point for major events: strong-looking cell signals that slow down or fail when too many people connect at once. - LongFi Connect is designed to offload traffic from the macro cellular network in dense settings. - The company is framing hospitality venues as part of the fan experience, not just as businesses near the stadium. - LongFi has already used event deployments to build credibility before the World Cup rollout. - In April and May 2026, LongFi completed a proof of concept at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. - Attendees on participating carriers used the network to access AXS tickets at the gates during peak arrival periods. - LongFi says the festival deployment sustained airtime availability above 60% and retry rates below 10%. - During Mardi Gras 2026, LongFi partnered with several New Orleans hospitality groups in the French Quarter and connected more than 140,000 people daily at peak across Carnival weekend. - A LongFi executive said the challenge in dense Wi-Fi is adding capacity while maintaining voice-grade quality in a complicated wireless environment.

What’s next: - More host-city venues are expected to go live before FIFA World Cup 2026™ begins. - The same carrier-grade Wi-Fi networks are expected to continue operating after the tournament for venue operators, guests, local residents and public-safety use cases. - LongFi says its host-city deployments are intended to outlast the tournament as permanent infrastructure. - LongFi Solutions says it specializes in carrier-grade Wi-Fi, neutral-host deployments, cellular offload and IoT device management. - The company is a member of the Wireless Broadband Alliance and designs and operates Passpoint-enabled networks for hospitality, entertainment, retail and public-venue environments across North America. - LongFi includes its website for more information: More information.

The bottom line: - LongFi is betting that the World Cup’s biggest connectivity problems will happen outside the stadium, and that carrier-grade Wi-Fi in fan-heavy venues can solve them before crowds arrive.