Ooredoo Qatar stated that at the final match of the Emir Cup football tournament on 19 May, it demonstrated its new mobile network at Khalifa Stadium to 45,000 spectators. The 4G/LTE advanced centralized RAN mobile technologies that were used in this match are up to 40 percent faster than the best current technologies, according to the operator. They are the basis of the technologies to be deployed by every arena during the FIFA World Cup 2022, which will be held in Qatar.

The specialized narrow-beam antennae delivered a higher capacity, enabling fans to stay connected and share their experiences. Ooredoo is actively working on its Smart Stadium offering, which controls security, connectivity, identity management, and access control, enabling teams to manage large-scale events with enhanced predictive models, business intelligence and live monitoring. With smart devices, spectators can order food for delivery, check the length of toilet queues at half-time breaks, access in-stadium broadcasts, and watch replays of game action.

Tarifica’s Take

We like not only the idea of a Smart Stadium system but also the fact that a mobile operator is creating and offering it. Sporting events are massive opportunities for revenue generation, given the large crowd sizes and the demand for data as fans share their experiences with friends directly and via social media. The sheer density of data demand within a limited space makes a sports stadium not only very attractive to an operator, but also very much in need of having a special, purpose-built connectivity solution.

For Ooredoo rather than a non-MNO technology developer to create such a solution is a good move and should be an inspiration to other operators. This way, not only does the operator stand to take a far higher proportion of data-traffic revenue than it would if users were on various networks, but the actual data volume will be higher due to more efficient network use. Of course, there also is the presumably sizable revenue to be earned from selling the Smart Stadium technology itself to venues.

Finally, we like this offering because it is so well-tailored to the particular needs of a sports stadium, including security, access control, and features that enhance customers’ experience in relevant ways while they are attending the game.