The 2014 FIFA World Cup has smashed data transmission records for a sporting event after just 10 days to become the most connected event in history.
Oi, the Brazilian telecommunications firm tasked with handling internet connections in the 12 stadia used in the competition, reported that 32TB of data has already been transmitted and it has already outstripped the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Some 20,000 journalists from 113 countries have been responsible for the figures with press coverage and news transmitted in real time across the world on the entire goings on in the South American country.
Available data records show that the tournament is already well on the way to surpassing other sports events that have taken place so far this year such as the Sochi Winter Olympics, which saw 34TB of data over its 17 days, and Super Bowl XLVII where 1.9TB was transmitted. To put it in comparable terms the amount of data across the first 10 days of the World Cup is equivalent to 171 Super Bowl match-ups per day on Oi’s network inside World Cup stadia, according to Oi.
The huge level of data comes down to the fact that many journalists are connected via two or three computers, tablets or smartphones simultaneously, and over the 10 days, Oi thinks that 152,000 devices were connected to the in-stadium Wi-Fi networks.
“We are seeing good results. Our partners – the government, with the Ministry of Communications, Oi and Telebras, which were involved in the infrastructure – have done their job and we are pleased with the results and grateful for what they have done. The press is also seeing that everything is working perfectly, which will be a legacy for the country,” stated FIFA director of TV Niclas Ericson.
Oi has also laid on 700,000 public Wi-Fi access points for fans across the country, provided telecoms services at training centres used by Germany, Ghana and Greece, and telecommunications for various TV channels and event sponsors.
