Spark to implement huge WiFi boost to Westpac Stadium

Spark and Westpac Stadium are teaming up as official technology partners to bring the stadium a massive tech upgrade.

In line with the revamp of Westpac Stadium, which includes a redesign of the visitor entries, the tech upgrade aims to expand and improve on the broader experiences visitors have before, during and after an event at the stadium.

Westpac Stadium are eager to get on with the project and look forward to working with Spark.

"We're delighted to partner with Spark to provide a better experience for event attendees at Westpac Stadium," says Stadium chief executive Shane Harmon.

"Connectivity is important for fans and their phone is part of any game day experience, whether sharing a moment via social media or looking up information related to the event, and this project will take that to a whole new level.

Spark plans to work with Huawei to implement high density WiFi through all areas of the stadium. The obvious benefit is the improved ability for visitors to share their stadium experiences with friends and family, primarily on social media as they occur.

Huawei has already applied similar upgrades for Borussia Dortmund in Germany and for the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia.

With 24km of new cabling being laid, and 300 access points being added, 20,000 people will be able to connect to the stadium WiFi concurrently. The network will be supported by a 20 Gb/second fibre backbone running around the stadium. The project is expected to be completed in July.

Spark's GM of enterprise and commercial, Vanessa Sorenson, says the partnership was very desirable for them.

"We competed against global companies to be Westpac Stadium's official technology partner and for us the biggest driver in this was the opportunity to help craft awesome experiences for stadium-goers," she says.

"We've seen connected technologies used in amazing ways to enhance stadium experiences overseas, so we're thrilled now to be involved in bringing this to Wellington.

The upgrades will serve as a starting platform for an all-inclusive fan experience, which Westpac Stadium plans to launch later in 2017.