Ericsson supports Telefonicato to deliver the 2014 World Cup experience in Brazil

Monday 21 July 2014 13:28
- Ericsson's Key Event Experience has been implemented for the first time in Brazil by Telefonica | Vivo

- Solution was implemented in six cities hosting the World Cup - São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasília, Cuiabá, Manaus and Salvador - in stadiums, press centers, airports and official spaces

- Initiative included network diagnosis, implementation of products and services and support from Brazilian and foreign experts with experience in major events

Ericsson Key Event Experience solution has been implemented to support Telefonica | Vivo in 2014 World Cup, held in Brazil. The solution, used at events that usually lead to a drastic increase in mobile traffic, was used for the first time in Brazil by the operator. It enhances the perceived quality of network operators by improving the user experience during the period of the great events at which it is implemented.

With increased use of smart mobile devices in the marketplace, and consequent larger demand for mobile broadband, there is a natural increase in user expectations regarding the quality of networks. These expectations and demands are even bigger when millions of users are concentrated in a specific area, sharing video, photos and tweets and pushing network capacity to its limit.

Ericsson studies conducted during 2010 World Cup in South Africa showed that there was a 40% increase in voice services compared to the beginning of the championship and use of data services was 10 times greater than the standard at the time. This demand, which was even bigger at this year's event, required good network performance not only in stadiums, but also in strategically important locations for the organization of the Cup, such as press centers, airports and official spaces for broadcasting matches. In these areas, Ericsson's solution was also considered.

Paulo Cesar Teixeira, CEO of Telefonica | Vivo, says: "Smartphones were the main tool for the people who were in the stadiums to record the matches during the World Cup. And this naturally leads to an increase in network capacity. Our aim in implementing Ericsson's Key Event Experience solution was to adjust our network to provide our users with the very best in terms of experience during the event."

Sergio Quiroga da Cunha, Head of Region Latin America, Ericsson says: "The Key Event Experience solution has enabled Telefonica | Vivo to be well perceived by users during the World Cup matches in the cities where we already provide equipment and services. All the knowledge we have from several years of experience meeting demands of this size has being used to make a thorough diagnosis of the network. This is a great partnership, involving rigorously managed services.".

The preliminary study started in February with the participation of Ericsson experts from other countries and who actively participated in major events held recently such as the Super Bowl in the United States, and the 2012 Olympic Games in London. Two servers were installed adjacent to the service provider's network management system to extract network performance data and report every 15 minutes during the period of the World Cup, to evaluate the performance of the network and indicate preventive actions.

Designed to assist operators in maintaining high levels of service and provide expertise in the areas of planning, design, implementation, optimization and failure management, Ericsson's solution is being applied in São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Brasilia, Cuiabá, Manaus and Salvador. Other features of Key Event Experience include performance monitoring in real time, active traffic management and proactive response in unforeseen events.