Cities look to boost stadium WiFi as fan demand surges

Cities hosting major sporting events are facing growing pressure to ensure stadium WiFi networks can cope with tens of thousands of fans attempting to connect simultaneously.

During busy matches and concerts, high demand for wireless connectivity can lead to congestion, slow speeds and dropped connections. Many venues try to address the problem by installing large numbers of antennas throughout seating areas, concourses and hospitality zones, but this can introduce interference and add complexity to network infrastructure.

A new antenna design aims to increase wireless capacity while reducing the number of antennas required across a venue.

Bo Larsson, CEO of MatSing, said traditional stadium WiFi networks often struggle because conventional antennas cannot easily create enough separate coverage sectors without causing interference.

“Stadium Wi-Fi today lacks high-capacity coverage due to limited sectorisation produced by traditional antennas, which causes interference,” Larsson told Cities Today. “[Our] lens technology provides the highest capacity with minimum sector-to-sector interference.”

The company’s WiFi 6E lens antenna uses a specialised RF lens to focus radio waves into narrow beams. The antenna can generate up to 16 independent beams, allowing multiple high-capacity sectors to be delivered from a single installation point.

Traditional stadium WiFi deployments typically rely on many antennas positioned throughout a venue to increase capacity. By contrast, the lens antenna approach concentrates multiple beams into one unit, which can simplify infrastructure while still supporting thousands of simultaneous users.

“Lens antennas are a different class of antennas that use special lenses to focus RF waves into narrow beams,” Larsson said. “[The] multi-beam lens antennas are uniquely capable of producing narrow, clean, interference-free RF beams that densify cellular/WiFi coverage and deliver unmatched capacity.”

For fans inside a stadium, the difference would be most noticeable during peak moments when large numbers of spectators try to upload photos, stream video or access apps at the same time.

“Fans will experience seamless connectivity, no buffering, faster download and upload speed and the ability to connect with family, friends, and social media, sharing their experiences in real time,” Larsson said.

High-capacity wireless connectivity is becoming increasingly important not only for venue operators but also for cities that rely on stadiums to host major sporting and entertainment events.

“5G and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity is no longer a ‘luxury’ for stadiums; it is the backbone of their business model and a vital engine for the surrounding city,” Larsson said.

Main image: MaxiSports | Dreamstime.com