Author
Koen ter Linde
Have you ever tried to fill a drinking cup with hundreds of liters of water? There just isn’t enough room. So what’s the solution? You either have to reduce the total volume, or get a bigger cup.
It’s a simple capacity metaphor, but since the advent of smartphones and the deluge of wired and wireless data flooding networks everywhere, this is the primary challenge facing stadium infrastructures. At larger stadiums like Stade de France in Paris—which has hosted the FIFA World Cup and is capable of supporting well over 80,000 fans for a concert or a sporting event—the sheer magnitude of the capacity challenge rises exponentially. It’s the equivalent of attempting to support an entire city’s worth of wireless data needs during a single match or performance.
From texts to tweets to video and more, sports fans love to share their game-day experiences with family and friends. With 5.5 million website visitors, 220,000 fans on Facebook and another 40,000 on Twitter, Stade de France was no exception. When fans began voicing their desire for a better experience, Stade de France leadership listened and partnered with CommScope to transform its existing network infrastructure into an innovative flexible, world-class solution.
That sounds great, but how does it impact the fan experience?
After 70 miles of CommScope cabling, more than 950 Wi-Fi access points and 40,000 DAS connections, the “cup” of available bandwidth for France’s premier live entertainment destination transformed into a reservoir. Fans can share their experiences on social networks in real time. Media outlets can broadcast major events without interruption. Advertising spend is smarter, more flexible and relevant. Security is tighter because communication is faster.
Above all, the stadium’s new network is designed with future needs and new technologies in mind. So whether an epic match happens tomorrow or in 2026, Stade de France is more than ready to handle the incoming data tsunami.
Click here to download our success story, "CommScope helps Stade de France strengthen its reputation as Paris’ premier live entertainment destination."
