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The upgrades will provide customers with more reliable service during busy football matches
O2 has carried out a targeted upgrade to its mobile network in and around Stamford Bridge, aiming to improve connectivity for the tens of thousands of fans who attend Chelsea FC matches and other events at the west London stadium.
The development will reportedly increase mobile capacity and performance across the stands, concourses, and hospitality areas.
The upgrades included the optimisation of the rooftop site within Stamford Bridge and the installation of new and upgraded small cells in the surrounding streets. O2 says these measures were intended to reduce congestion at peak times, making it easier for supporters to share photos and video, use mobile ticketing, and make contactless payments before, during, and after matches.
Following these upgrades, visitors are reportedly using more than twice as much data on match days and experiencing roughly four times higher speeds.
“Stamford Bridge is an iconic stadium with extremely high demand on matchdays. By optimising our network inside the ground and in the surrounding areas, we are giving O2 customers a more reliable mobile experience so they can enjoy every moment, from kick-off to the final whistle,” said Steven Verigotta, Director of Mobile Delivery at Virgin Media O2.
The Stamford Bridge improvements form part of Virgin Media O2’s wider Mobile Transformation Plan, which focuses on expanding 4G and 5G coverage, rolling out small cells in dense urban locations and tackling known network bottlenecks along transport routes and at major venues.
The operator has also been deploying spectrum it acquired from Vodafone UK last year, a move it says underpins capacity enhancements nationwide.
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