Record-breaking events like the Paris Olympics and the Taylor Swift World Championships Tour of the ages – It is said to have added almost £1 billion to the UK economy alone – making 2024 a historic year, as connectivity becomes a defining feature of the fan experience.
According to the latest Ericsson Consumer Lab ReportStable, reliable networks have gone from a luxury to an expectation, setting new standards for live events that will only rise in the future.
The Global Communications Technology and Solutions Providers Study was conducted from June to August 2024. A total of 2,404 participants were interviewed, with recruitment conducted through in-person networking at events and online panels.
Participants were asked about their frequency of attendance at large events (events with more than 45,000 participants), their reliance on their mobile devices during such events, and their overall expectations of networking. Additionally, they were asked about their interest in opportunities to enhance connection and their expectations for future experiences at events.
This year was the first to witness several major European events – Taylor Swift Ages Concerts, Olympics and Euro 2024 – It coincided with the construction of a 5G network infrastructure center by operators in anticipation of high demand for mobile traffic. In Ericsson’s opinion, these events provided a true testing ground for the capabilities of 5G technology in delivering improved connectivity experiences in the most challenging traffic environments.
The notable findings revealed in the report were demand for data and 5G advantage, preference for reliability over speed, significant current revenue potential, and significant future implications for the market.
Network performance data showed that 5G networks provided a significantly improved user experience compared to 4G networks in the same locations. The performance lift from 5G at these events allowed operators to accommodate the increase in download traffic driven by real-time live streaming and content sharing.
At Taylor Swift’s concerts, attendees consumed an average of 5.4 terabytes of data per night. During the Paris Olympics, daily uplink traffic in central Paris increased by 20%, with uplink traffic also tripling during the opening ceremony. Relying solely on the 4G network to support this download traffic may lead to network overload and major communication failures.
Over 40% of fans streamed, uploaded and shared, resulting in a significant increase in data. Two out of three 5G users reported meeting or exceeding their connectivity expectations, with 5G achieving 20% greater user satisfaction than 4G in the same settings, underscoring its role as a critical asset for high-density environments.
Fans rated network stability and app performance as ten times more important than speed alone, underscoring the need for resilient infrastructure to support digital engagement at scale. During moments of peak network usage and congestion, users continued to report issues with network outages and inconsistent experiences with apps, which results showed were 10 times more impactful on their perception than network speeds.
Two-fifths of fans were interested in paying for guaranteed connectivity during big events. Event attendees are willing to pay between 5% and 15% more on ticket prices to ensure smooth and secure connectivity; 5-15% more to improve connectivity and app experience; While bundled connectivity tickets attracted 21% more event-goers, indicating an untapped revenue stream for venues and telcos alike. Ericsson noted that this provides an opportunity to deploy standalone 5G networks to best meet this requirement.
Ericsson believes that with more high-profile events on the horizon, telecom service providers have an opportunity to set new standards in fan engagement and achieve growth by partnering with venues to deliver outstanding 5G experiences.
“This study clearly shows that improved experiences provided by 5G lead to greater satisfaction. While network speed is important, it is not the most important factor – our findings show that user satisfaction depends more on the consistency and quality of application performance.” .
“As previous ConsumerLab studies have shown, a bad experience can have a lasting impact on customer loyalty, and these results confirm that users are willing to pay more for guaranteed quality of service. This means that with standalone 5G technology, operators will have a great opportunity to meet growing user expectations and benefit One of the premium services for consumers looking for a quality-assured experience.
Jenny Lindqvist, Head of Market Area at Ericsson in Europe and Latin America, added: “5G technology is already having a transformative impact on consumers at major events, allowing more users to live stream or share their experiences. Looking to the future, diverse connectivity will allow operators to meet users’ individual needs and expectations, for example through guaranteed premium connectivity. This will increase customer satisfaction and create new revenue opportunities for operators.
Anne-Flour Roger, Technical Director of Mobile Network at Orange, added: “During this year’s global sporting event in Paris, we witnessed unprecedented traffic levels. To accommodate the city’s expected attendance of 11 million, we deployed several temporary 5G mobile sites, which handled 25% of total traffic – an impressive number.
“Major hotspots were also crucial, with only six sites managing 50% of total load. The opening ceremony alone saw traffic increase to three times the volume of a typical busy day, with 5G supporting half of this demand. Clearly, without next generation technology Fifth, we could not meet the communication needs of users at this scale.
