Mega Events: The Importance of High-Performance Connectivity

This Industry Viewpoint was authored by Luis Coton, Allied Telesis

As we come down from the excitement of the Paris Olympics, America is deep in the process of readying for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, CA. When these “mega events” happen, there are countless layers of logistics that go into building, preparing, securing, and managing a successful event. In today’s always-on world, one must be ready for anything. And with everything from transportation to payments systems relying on wireless technology, that means an effective communications network is critical.

The Importance of Reliability

One of the main issues that arise in events with large crowds is the lack of communication for attendees, staff, security, and volunteers due to signal failures within the stadiums, primarily caused by the high density of users connected simultaneously. The event must have the capacity for a traffic explosion, as attendees increase data usage by large margins. As example, Verizon and AT&T reported a combined 68.8 terabytes of data use in and around State Farm Stadium during the 2024 Super Bowl LVII — about 58 percent more than the total seen the year before. In Paris last month, more than 100 terabytes of data was registered on the mobile network just during the time that French swimmer Leon Marchand was vying for gold in the 200 meter butterfly event!

Any disruption in the network can be a PR nightmare at best (millions of people complaining they cannot connect), and life threatening at worst (when emergency communications are down). A notable example of a network outage at a mega event occurred during the 2013 Super Bowl XLVII in New Orleans. Halfway through the third quarter, a power outage caused a 34-minute delay in the game. The outage disrupted not only the game itself but also various network-dependent services within the stadium, including point-of-sale systems, Wi-Fi connectivity for attendees, and media broadcasting. The incident served as a reminder of the importance of robust backup systems and contingency plans for network infrastructure at major events.

These mega events also provide a perfect opportunity for threat actors to target millions of individuals and organizations before, during, and after the games – for maximum impact. In recent years, Olympic systems, athletes, and attendees have been subject to cyberattacks with the 2021 Summer Games in Tokyo facing 450 million attempts.

Building the Right System

Designing and optimizing the network in a dynamic way is very crucial during events that the world is watching, and this likely requires intensive infrastructure and technology investments. Mega events need the right network infrastructure installed in competition and non-competitive venues, along with cybersecurity services, conferencing software, and communication networks. Institutions hosting these large-scale events focus heavily on providing a reliable Wi-Fi network that allows attendees to access the venue with their tickets, order food, communicate with friends and family, post online, and more.

It is important to emphasize the importance of having adequate technology capable of providing efficient connectivity, with features such as:

1. Automated management: having a panel that provides real-time visibility of what is happening on the network to prevent interruptions.
2. Robust Industrial devices: ensuring that the technology can withstand any context, both in terms of user density, physical infrastructure, and harsh environments.
3. Network infrastructure: having autonomous management that analyzes and proactively responds to failures, maintaining uninterrupted connectivity thru built in continuous PoE and cable testing.

Portability

Lastly, it’s important to remember that not all events are in permanent spaces such as stadiums. Networks need to be “transportable.” For events that take place only a few days a year the network can’t be a permanent installation either.

As example, The Elements Festival in Germany only takes place for a few days a year, sees more than 8,000 attendees per day, and doesn’t have a permanent set of buildings or other facilities. Furthermore, each trade area of the festival – sound, lighting, video, ticketing/admission, payment systems, and security/authorities – has its own networking needs. A network for sound has different requirements than a network that ‘only’ provides Internet access, or serves as a transport platform for thousands of photos coming from media outlets.

The entire system built with robust industrial switches, routers, WLAN, wireless bridges, monitoring, and management servers, etc. has to be completely configured in advance and installed in portable cases so that everything can be transported roadworthy and simply unfolded and put into operation on-site at the vast temporary outdoor venue.

In recent years, the festival organizers used an enhanced version of Access and Mobility Management Function (AMF) which provided the festival with a converged infrastructure that can be managed as a single entity, increasing visibility and reducing complexity. Additionally, a next-generation Autonomous Wave Control (AWC) wireless controller utilized artificial intelligence (AI) to improve wireless network performance and connectivity, reduced the need for human involvement, and adapted to environmental changes and users’ bandwidth demands on-the-fly. All of this was easily dismantled at the conclusion of the event.

In conclusion, the success of mega events hinges on high-performance connectivity. From ensuring seamless communication and data access for millions to mitigating cyber threats and handling unexpected disruptions, a robust network infrastructure is paramount. As technology evolves and mega events continue to grow in scale and complexity, the demand for reliable, adaptable, and secure connectivity solutions will only intensify. By investing in cutting-edge technologies and prioritizing network resilience, organizers can deliver unforgettable experiences for attendees while safeguarding the integrity of these monumental events.

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About the Author

As director of strategic channels for Allied Telesis, a global leader in connectivity solutions and intelligent networking tools, Coton leads a team responsible to grow and engage with Integrators, VAR’s, Distribution, Eco-System Partners, & End-Users in the Networking Solutions Space Across North America. Allied Telesis built the network for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio.

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Categories: Industry Viewpoint