The new stadium-wide network was designed and deployed by WIG working with O2 and Vodafone in the first phase of deployment. The service is available to O2 and Vodafone customers initially, with plans to roll the service out to other networks at a later date.
The network was successfully tested during the last few games of the season, enhancing the matchday experience for fans, visitors and staff. The investment follows the expansion of Anfield Stadium which is part of a wider regeneration initiative to improve the Anfield area where the club is based.
Fans who are attending the highly-anticipated international friendly at Anfield, Brazil v. Croatia, on Saturday June 3, will be the first to benefit from improved connectivity at the Stadium. Fans will be able to keep up to date with the latest news, sporting results and share images of their time at Anfield whilst attending the game.
Andrew Robinson, Head of Technology & Transformation, at Liverpool Football Club said: “Putting our fans first, improving their matchday experience and helping them to enjoy their time at Anfield is integral to our strategy. Providing consistent mobile coverage at scale to 54,000 fans is very challenging and slow mobile data speeds can be frustrating for fans. Using expertise from WIG we’re tackling this challenge with high quality 4G services throughout the stadium to provide a much better match day experience.”
Scott Coates, CEO at Wireless Infrastructure Group said: “Busy venues like football stadiums need dedicated wireless infrastructure and Liverpool FC’s focus on improving connectivity for its fans has been key to the success of the project. WIG delivers high capacity neutral-host infrastructure in busy and often challenging locations and this is only possible through trusted relationships with the UK’s mobile operators and with venues such as Anfield.”
Brendan O’Reilly, Chief Network Officer O2, said: “We’re committed to investing in our network for our customers in Liverpool and are delighted to be working with WIG to bring 4G to Anfield. Fans visiting Anfield will now be able to experience faster mobile internet from the stadium, making it easier to share videos and photos, as well as use video calling or stream video content”.
Vodafone UK’s CTO Scott Petty added: “We’re delighted to be able to provide our customers at Anfield with ultra-fast 4G mobile. As well as the football ground, we’re investing heavily in improving coverage throughout Liverpool and the surrounding area.”
This news comes as WIG prepares its bid to partner with Transport for London and invest in a new London-wide infrastructure to enable mobile services across busy London streets and throughout the London Underground.