Stories

Fri, 27 Feb 2026

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 Why you can't get a signal at festivals and sports matches

Connecting up music and sports events to the internet is a massive undertaking.

* Connectivity issues can be frustrating for football fans, especially when they can't use their phones to check other games or contact friends.
* Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium has a robust connectivity system that handles 11Gb of bandwidth and supports 18,000 simultaneous Wi-Fi connections.
* Newer venues like stadiums and cultural festivals require high-capacity fibre connections to meet the demands of broadcasters, emergency services, and security.
* Mobile operators are rolling out 5G and 5GSA technologies to improve connectivity in areas with large crowds, but upgrade programmes can be slowed down by local objections.
* Temporary events like music festivals or golf tournaments pose unique challenges for connectivity, as infrastructure is often built just weeks before the event.
* There's a balance to be struck between providing good connectivity for fans and not undermining the live experience of an event.