When the Commonwealth Games Ceremonies Team sought support for their ambitious event setup at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, they turned to us for a full overlay network solution. The project was multifaceted, spanning the entire stadium, two adjacent buildings, and two external sites critical for operations: the central Birmingham organisers’ office and a large rehearsal space in a car park to the south of the city. This rehearsal site was equipped with a complete production village featuring portakabins, tents, and workspaces spread across the area.
1. Organisers’ Office: For the central Birmingham office, we implemented a streamlined overlay network using the building’s existing leased line infrastructure. To enhance security and resilience, we incorporated a bonded 5G backup that routed through our data centre, addressing ongoing network issues experienced with the LOC-provided setup. Our wired and wireless solutions covered all three floors, providing seamless connectivity and improved reliability.
2. Rehearsal Site: The rehearsal site presented unique challenges due to its industrial location and the constraints on installing fixed-line services. To establish a robust connection, we deployed a star network using armoured fiber across the site, complemented by a bonded satellite, broadband, and 5G solution. This setup allowed for effective distribution of connectivity throughout the space, providing essential Wi-Fi access to check-in users and the production teams across the sprawling village.
3. Alexander Stadium (Main Event Site): The stadium required a resilient core network spread across two main comms rooms, supported by two 1Gb leased lines to meet the high demands of video and content teams. We created a seamless experience across all locations by using a uniform SSID and password, ensuring users could transition smoothly between the sites. A 24-core permanent fibre connection linked the stadium to the external sites, providing redundant paths and ensuring high availability.
At the stadium, we installed around 30 network switches and 80 access points, including directional Wi-Fi for photographers on the field of play, serving a peak of approximately 600 Wi-Fi users. This network extended coverage to all technical areas, corporate suites, dressing rooms, cast holding areas, wardrobe spaces, prop workshops, radio distribution zones, and several production offices. Connectivity was provided across the site, from the radio mast at the west end to the comms technical area at the east end. CCTV camera feeds from around the stadium were also routed through this network, enhancing security and communication across the event.
The overlay network remained active for four to five months, with remote support supplemented by on-site visits as needed. Each site utilised VLANs to manage user functions, with bandwidth allocations tailored to ensure equitable access. A time-based limiter enabled the video content team to use extra bandwidth during off-peak hours, allowing them to upload and download large media files without affecting other users.
With a track record that includes the London 2012 Olympics, the Baku 2015 European Games, World Athletics events in 2017 and 2018, and various UK Athletics events, the Birmingham Commonwealth Games Ceremonies Team trusted our expertise. Our responsive support, even on weekends, enabled the BCL teams to quickly integrate and operate efficiently as though they were in a fully equipped permanent office. The network’s rapid installation and flawless operation were key in supporting the Commonwealth Games’ vision and execution.
