Vodafone Qatar in smart stadiums deal with Turkey

Vodafone Qatar, a leading telecom services operator in the country, has signed an agreement with Turkish football club Besiktas to develop smart stadiums for the mega FIFA 2022 World Cup™ matches, according to media reports.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU), which was signed with Vodafone’s sister company in Turkey, focuses on facilitating the transfer of knowledge, expertise, and technological know-how from Turkey’s state-of-the-art and first smart stadium, the Vodafone Arena, to Qatar, according to The Gulf Times.

A global leader in ‘Internet of Things’ technology, Vodafone wants to provide exceptional digital experience and superfast internet connectivity to a large number of sport fans who will be watching the first World Cup in the Middle East in 2022, it stated.

“The ability to share videos, pictures and messages with people online will be an important aspect of the fan experience six and a half years from now,” remarked its chief operating officer Mohamed Al Sadah at the signing ceremony. Al Sadah said the Vodafone Arena in Besiktas district will serve as a model for them in coming up with smart stadiums in Qatar, which is set to build eight stadiums for the prestigious tournament.

The telecom major has invested some $10 million for the smart stadium solutions alone, making it one of the most advanced technological infrastructures in the world, said the report. The 42,000-capacity stadium has 350 mobile coverage areas, which is equivalent to a small-scale town in Turkey, it added.

Spectators can access 620 Wi-Fi spots, 2G, 3G, and 4.5G broadband network connections, rich content displays on 850 video walls, and a Vodafone Arena application. More than 142 km of cable are supporting the Arena’s telecommunications system and Wi-Fi network, connecting the rooms to the data centre, said the report.

The Arena’s mobile application also enhances the game experiences and real-time statistics are shared. Besides, Vodafone is planning to apply Beacon technology that will enable spectators to order food without leaving their seats, it stated. The payment system, navigation within the stadium, car parking, and different services will be fully digitalised in the future, the report added.

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