The 2023 World Athletics Championships in Budapest indeed stood out as one of the most meticulously executed athletics events in recent memory. Held at the brand-new National Athletics Centre along the banks of the Danube, the competition showcased not only high athletic standards but also remarkable organization and planning that underscored Budapest’s commitment to excellence.
After successfully delivering flawless network solutions for the London 2017 World Championships and the Birmingham 2018 Indoor World Championships, RockIT was once again entrusted by World Athletics to provide network services for the World Athletics Championships held in Budapest in August 2023. The scope of the project was vast, requiring reliable connectivity and Wi-Fi for a range of event-critical services, including Seiko Timing, Deltatre Results and Commentary Information Systems (CIS), Event Presentation, over 600 media professionals, 400 photographers, broadcasters, athletes, VIPs, and all World Athletics (WA) offices.
This was an extensive and diverse project, with numerous stakeholders relying on uninterrupted connectivity for mission-critical services. One of the key partners, Seiko Timing, is a primary technical supplier for the event. Having built a strong relationship with Seiko over the years, they rely on RockIT to deliver six different point-to-multipoint VLAN services across the event site, including for Field Equipment Boards, False Start, LPS and Timing systems. A particularly challenging service was the LPS athlete tracking system, which required up to 14 transponder nodes placed around the stadium concourse. Seiko and other technical suppliers frequently expressed confidence in RockIT, noting that they can “plug in and trust that everything will work flawlessly.”
For Deltatre, another critical technical supplier, RockIT provided two point-to-multipoint VLANs, with one supporting the CIS (Commentary Information System) that needed to be deployed across all areas of the stadium. In Budapest, there were over 200 CIS terminals, and RockIT’s rapid deployment capabilities allowed for flexibility and responsiveness in a fast-paced environment. This adaptability was crucial, as demonstrated on Day 2 when over 100 internet connections were converted to CIS terminals before the morning session, all made possible by RockIT’s bespoke automation and delivery system. This system allows engineers to configure hardware efficiently by utilising a large spreadsheet of requirements for seamless, on-the-fly adjustments.
One of the most demanding user groups at the event was the media, particularly the 400 photographers, who required extensive cabled connections at various locations such as infield, outfield, head-on platforms, and the catwalk. RockIT’s extensive experience with major press agencies, coupled with strong relationships with technical teams and press operations, enabled the delivery of high-quality services. Each press agency provided their own FTP servers on-site, a practice RockIT first implemented in 2017. Using MAC address authentication, individual cameras were placed into the appropriate VLAN, with over 850 unique devices registered via a self-registration portal. This ensured that photographers could transfer images at LAN speeds to on-site FTP servers, where editors in the press benches could select the best shots for upload. The press benches and media centre were equipped with 1,000 cabled positions and high-density Wi-Fi, which functioned flawlessly throughout the event, with no Wi-Fi issues reported.
For the broadcast team, RockIT delivered dedicated services to various key areas within the stadium and broadcast compound. Inside the stadium, RockIT supported 10 TV studios, a 50-position Mixed Zone, and 85 commentary bench positions with a dedicated Commentary Control Room (CCR). In the broadcast compound, 85 RHB cabins, 50 host broadcaster cabins, and five trucks were provided with dedicated bandwidth via stacked switches with dual PSUs for redundancy.
World Athletics also required a dedicated private wireless network for their staff, with enhanced security features in addition to the networks provided for third-party suppliers. This overlay Wi-Fi was deployed across all functional areas, including back offices and workspaces.
To manage the complexity of the network, RockIT established an on-site Network Operations Center (NOC) within a dedicated workroom. The NOC allowed for real-time monitoring of network performance, including bandwidth, availability, and various other metrics. ICMP monitoring tools provided continuous updates on network status, ensuring rapid response to any issues.
The network infrastructure was built for redundancy and reliability. RockIT deployed a fully redundant core with 3 x 48-port fibre core Cisco Catalyst switches in each core rack, with all switches connected to the core via dual 10Gb links using port channels. FortiGate firewalls in a high-availability (HA) pair were used to provide core network services, including IPS, application visibility, and security services, connected via dual 10Gb links. These firewalls also enforced rate-limiting policies to ensure optimal performance for critical services.
For wireless services, RockIT deployed two Cisco Wi-Fi controllers in HA mode, connected at 10Gb to manage the various Wi-Fi services across the event. Additionally, two servers in an HA configuration were used to support virtual machines, providing bespoke RADIUS authentication solutions, network monitoring, and automation.
To ensure robust internal and external connectivity, each main communications room was equipped with two 10Gb circuits from different ISPs, using RockIT’s own IP address range to provide seamless failover and reliable connectivity for both broadcasters and VPN users.
Across the site, RockIT deployed 350 access points supported by 62 switch stacks (totaling 180 switches), handling over 7,500 devices per day. At peak, there were around 4,000 concurrent Wi-Fi users. In total, RockIT delivered over 3,000 individual services for the event, ensuring a seamless experience for all stakeholders.
