EE, Wembley keep gig goers connected with 5G-first

EE has upgraded their 5G network at Wembley to cover the famous pitch, supporting a busy summer season of music gigs. EE’s 5G network already covers spectator stands at the national stadium and the new system extends coverage to the pitch, which is hosting over 1 million gig goers over the summer months.

The system is a 5G first for pitch coverage, delivering greater reliability and lightning-fast 5G download speeds for large crowds in standing areas. EE customers are the first to access the improved coverage as the stadium hosts a series of gigs from artists including Harry Styles, Ed Sheeran, Westlife and Coldplay.

June’s Capital FM Summertime Ball, which kicked off Wembley’s summer gigs, showed the huge volumes of data consumed by customers. EE users downloaded over 3,500 gigabytes and uploaded over 3,000 gigabytes of data, creating the single biggest ‘mobile data event’ on the Wembley network.

Dave Salam, Director of Mobile at EE, said: “We’re proud of our long-standing partnership with Wembley Stadium and continue to deliver technology firsts on our quest to keep Wembley the UK’s most connected stadium. Delivering the new 4G and 5G system has taken months of testing but we’re delighted to see the results, giving EE customers in large crowds a greater experience than ever before.”

Liam Boylan, Stadium Director, Wembley Stadium, said: “The use of Wembley Stadium’s pitch makes for a unique venue and we want visitors to have the best possible experience when they’re here. EE’s new system, which is capable of supporting multiple networks, offers the kind of reliability we need and we’re delighted to see this next step in our technology partnership.”

Last year, EE set out an ambition to deliver 5G connectivity solutions anywhere in the UK by 2028, through a combination of permanent coverage and on demand solutions. As part of that plan, EE pledged to improve signal at major locations across the UK, to ensure customers have the capacity they need to cope with growing data demands on the network. The new system delivers 5G on 3.5GHz spectrum over 12 antennas around the stadium. It will also support multiple operators, with other networks expected to join after the system completes testing.

EE runs the UK's biggest and fastest mobile network, offering superfast connections in more places than any other operator. EE brought the first 4G network to the UK in October 2012 with it continuing to be the UK’s biggest 4G network and launched the UK’s first 5G network in May 2019.

EE is committed to being number one for service in the industry. Its retail presence exceeds more than 600 shops across the UK. EE is part of BT’s Consumer business unit which provides products and services to all of BT’s consumer customers in the UK.