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Why you can't get a signal at festivals and sports matches
Getty ImagesEvents put huge pressure on local phone and wi-fi networks
Ben Jones accepts a certain amount of frustration is part and parcel of being a football fan. But that should be because of the action on the pitch, not because he can't use his mobile phone to call a friend in the stadium, or check the progress of other critical games.
"It's going to affect things so much, if this team wins, if that team draws…" says the creative director from North London. "So, to then go on your phone and find that you can't even get a bar? It's crazy."
Connectivity, over mobile and fixed networks, is critical when people come together at sports tournaments, cultural festivals, or business events. When it fails venue operators and fans suffer.
One of the UK's newest sports stadia is Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium. The connectivity in the stadium was developed with HPE Aruba.
On a matchday, it handles 11Gb inbound and outbound bandwidth, and data transfer of 205TB.
The setup can support 18,000 simultaneous wi-fi connections, while a distributed antenna system (DAS) boosts mobile phone coverage in the stadium. "So, you know your phone will work," says Phil Davies, IT Director at Everton Football Club.
It means Everton can meet the needs of broadcasters and photographers, as well as the emergency services and security.
Outsourcing IT services.signal festivals sports
The network also underpins the fan experience, from ticketing and stadium maps, to cashless payments for drinks, food and merchandise.
In the football world, the Premier League, UEFA, and FIFA all have strict requirements for connectivity, not least because of the massive bandwidth needs of broadcasters.
An elite event like the Champions League final will involve upwards of 40 or more cameras.
Each would demand 1.5Gbps of bandwidth, estimates Peter Coppens, VP of product at telecom provider Colt Technology.
Catering for this typically means two high-capacity fibre connections into and out of the stadium.
By contrast, Ofcom regards 10Mbps
Original aticle here: BBC
