We are only months away from the 2020 Olympics where Japan will be in the spotlight as the hosts of the global sporting event. Construction work on the New National Stadium in Tokyo was completed on 20th November, ready for the opening of the event on Friday 24th July 2020.  

Known for being ultramodern and high-tech, Japan’s capital ranks in second place in the Innovation Cities Index 2019. Tokyo is embracing smart technology and aims to further develop their 5G infrastructure, with the sporting event being the perfect opportunity to showcase it. Tokyo’s Governor, Yuriko Koike, has said that the metropolitan government will make 8,297 buildings and 4,502 land lots available for installing base stations for 5G high-speed wireless communication networks (Japan Times, Nov 9 2019). These stations include schools, as well as the Tokyo Tatsumi International Swimming Centre, a key venue for both the Olympics and Paralympics.  

Intel, carrier NTT Docomo, and automaker Toyota are the sponsors of the Olympics, and have announced ambitious plans for 5G tech capabilities as they plan to turn Tokyo into a “Smart City”. Huge promises for 5G at the games include “pervasive facial  recognition”, 3D athlete tracking and virtual stadiums. This will put a huge strain on the network to provide very high capacity, speed, low latency, high reliability and the ability to connect a massive number of devices.  

Metricell has vast experience with network monitoring for large-scale events including the Commonwealth Games, FIFA World Cup, Glastonbury Festival, Silverstone and Wimbledon. Our Beacon technology provides continuous insight into the real network experience at any key location. They provide an instant alarm to report if any voice, data, or service performance impacts occur; and provide trending analysis, along with a full drill down to understand the cause of any alarm trigger.

Connectivity will be essential at the Olympics. With our highly efficient and scalable products operators can ensure adequate service and track customer KPI’s to help ensure there are plans in place for the occasion.  

Learn more here.