The Stadium of Light hosted a Premier League return and the Women's Rugby World Cup opening with enhanced 5G connectivity delivered through a connectivity-as-a-service (CaaS) infrastructure from Boldyn Networks, claimed as the UK's first full neutral-host RAN managed service for high-density demand venues. The stadium holds 49,000 spectators and also stages major concerts. Virgin Media O2 customers were the first to benefit from the Sunderland Open Network EcosysTem (Sonet) project, designed to improve in-stadium mobile experience and engagement. Stakeholders include the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Sunderland City Council, VMO2, Perform Green and Boldyn Networks. The stadium has a new evolved distributed antenna system with O-RAN-based radios supporting O-RAN fronthaul.
Over the past few days, the Stadium of Light in Sunderland has seen a raucous victorious return to the Premier League for the city's football team and the opening match of the Women's Rugby World Cup, both of which offered fans significantly enhanced 5G connectivity experiences though a connectivity-as-a-service (CaaS) infrastructure from Boldyn Networks, said to be the UK's first full neutral host RAN managed service in a high-density demand (HDD) venue.
Based on the north side of the River Wear, the Stadium of Light has a capacity for 49,000 spectators - the ninth largest in the English professional game - and can expand to hold tens of thousands more. In addition to holding major sporting events, it has also been a music concert venue since 2009, hosting artists including Oasis, Take That, Beyonce and Coldplay.
The stadium's connectivity ecosystem is wide-reaching, encompassing the UK government's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, whose interest is in the use of open radio access network (O-RAN) mobile technology use cases in HDD locations; Sunderland City Council, which sees the football club as central to the city's identity and part of its regional inward investment plan, which includes a new eSports location;
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