Manchester City Becomes First Premier League Team to Have Full Stadium Wi-Fi

April 4, 2014

Manchester City have set a new landmark after becoming the first Premier League club to introduce free wi-fi throughout their stadium.

The Etihad Stadium, which is set to be upgraded, now has high-density broadband which is capable of providing 30MB download speeds, and marks an ongoing digital initiative at the club that includes apps aimed at visiting fans to help them navigate the area.

The goal is to enhance the match day experience through the use of mobile technology, with the club encouraging fans inside the ground to engage with the club on social networks like Facebook and Twitter.

The wi-fi will be available to every fan inside the 48,000-capacity stadium on match days, having undergone an extensive testing process.

Liverpool previously tested out wifi in their 12,000-capacity Centenary Stand, but have since said the club has no plans to roll it out around the rest of Anfield stadium after some supporters complained about the speed of the connection.

Speaking exclusively to iSportconnect TV Sanjeev Katwa, IT Director at City Football Group, said: “We’ve realised that Wi-FI was becoming a key thing we needed to do. And we are the first ones in the Premier League, which is surprising. But we are very proud of the work that we’ve done in conjonction with O2 and Cisco.

“We’ve got almost 600 access points, we have Wi-FI during the game, outside the stadium and for media.”