The high influx of visitors at stadiums and event venues in a short period of time can overload public mobile networks, leading to call drops and slow data speeds as demand outstrips network capacity. Management teams will be acutely aware how this can impact the services and experiences on offer, especially for today’s digitally savvy and connected consumer.
Edmund Wilkinson, Key Accounts Manager at Cellnex UK delves into how digital connectivity solutions can be utilised to ensure visitors can stay connected at all times – creating a smooth and interactive experience, which consumers have come to expect when visiting stadium and event spaces.
High Performing Layer Of Connectivity: Four Ways Stadium And Events Spaces Benefit:
- In today’s connected world, event attendees expect to receive increased communication about the event they are attending. This includes real‑time updates, schedules, and interactive maps of the venue, which can be used on site.
- Consumers are searching for more immersive and engaging experiences. Event organisers are responding to this trend by using mobile apps to interact with exhibits, promote venue services, and offer special deals to visitors. These apps can also provide attendees with access to exclusive content.
- In addition, event organisers are looking for ways to streamline operations by automating tasks such as check‑in, ticketing, and registration. These can serve to enhance health and safety by preventing long queues forming, reducing wait times for attendees and improving overall efficiency. It can also better connect security teams, which will help them to respond quickly to issues.
- Events are being transformed into data‑rich environments. More and more, stadium and event organisers are seeking to collect and analyse data about attendee behaviour and demographics, allowing them to make more informed decisions to meet consumer expectations effectively.
However, for visitors to fully benefit from these digital enhancements, reliable connectivity is essential, and often this is best delivered through a dedicated mobile connectivity solution, such as a Distributed Antenna System (DAS).
Why Not Wi‑Fi?
While it’s true that venues including stadiums are increasingly offering free Wi‑Fi, this isn’t always the ideal solution for visitors due to concerns around speed and security.
Alternative connectivity solutions, such as DAS, are able to improve cellular coverage and capacity in areas where signals are weak or cannot reach. DAS also allows for a truly seamless experience by eliminating the need for guests to connect to Wi‑Fi via access codes and log‑on processes. This solution works by utilising a network of antennas to boost 4G and 5G coverage for vast numbers of guests at a time, across a variety of mobile networks.
With this in place, visitors can benefit from staying connected without disruption or experiencing slower speeds, which are all too common in large capacity stadiums.
Tackling Connectivity ‘Not Spots’
Stadiums and event and exhibition centres are often vast buildings – not all of them are modern or built with connectivity in mind. Connectivity ‘not‑spots’ occur when mobile coverage and 4G or 5G signals are impaired by the building’s infrastructure.
Thick‑walls, steel structures and the use of metallised‑glass is relatively common in building design for these kinds of venues, which can have a major impact on mobile signals, reducing their strength or blocking them completely. As a result, the impact on guest experience can be huge.
Overcoming this connectivity challenge can also be achieved with DAS. When connected to operators’ Base Transceiver Stations (BTS) via a remote optical system, DAS provides mobile and multi‑system coverage to multiple operators in the surrounding environment, including enclosed indoor building spaces. In turn, creating truly smart venues that are capable of supporting local hospitality and small businesses who form the event experience throughout the day.
