Unlocking the Transformative Power of Connectivity: Lessons from the EUROs

As we reflect on an exciting year with the EURO 2024 in Germany and the upcoming Olympics in France, it feels like a good time to think about the unifying power of sport. The championship, which was won by Spain in a nail-biting final against England, attracted 2.6m spectators who attended the games, and an incredible 5.8m fans travelled to Germany’s 10 fan zones in the host cities. It was amazing to see the world coalesce around its love of football – even if on-pitch rivalries were as fierce as ever!

It also reminded me about the crucial role that infrastructure plays in enabling events like this, and how it can create real value for our societies. Let me explain.

Living in Düsseldorf where 5 of the matches were hosted, I’ve seen firsthand the critical importance of robust connectivity during such significant events. While fans were primarily here to celebrate their love of the game, there’s much more to enjoying sport than just the action in the arenas. The majority of that off-pitch action was enabled by seamless mobile communications.

Connectivity has been the backbone of this experience, enabling fans to share their joy and excitement in real time. From live streaming matches to sharing moments on social media, our infrastructure has played a pivotal role in making these interactions possible.

This has played out in the data traffic statistics during the event. For example, Deutsche Telekom reported that a total of around 260 million gigabytes of data were transmitted nationwide in their network during the tournament. Vodafone estimated that an astonishing 175 terabytes of data were sent in just 15 minutes on its mobile network after the controversial decision not to award Germany a penalty in their quarter-final game against Spain.

During the actual games, fans in the ten host stadiums used over 150,000 gigabytes in the run up to the final (according to Deutsche Telekom data), showing just how ingrained connectivity has become to the on-the-ground fan experience.

We are proud to have played our part by contributing to the success of this event by ensuring that millions of people could stay connected without interruption.

Value creation is at the heart of what we do at Vantage Towers. We understand that our stakeholders rely on us for more than just connectivity; they depend on us for a reliable, high-quality service that makes their daily lives easier. At events like the EUROs, we get to show off how our infrastructure deepens peoples’ love of sport – by getting to share it with others who aren’t experiencing it directly themselves.

Creating value isn't just about immediate commercial returns, it’s much more of a long-term investment. It's about continually innovating to deliver the best experience possible for our customers. By investing in new technologies and improving our services, it enabled Spanish fans to facetime their families at home during their win against Germany. It enabled England fans to capture Bellingham’s majestic last-minute overhead kick and share it on social media in real-time, igniting excitement felt around the world.

Personally, I love how sport brings people together. But I’m also thrilled by the way that connectivity – and the infrastructure that enables it – elevates that experience to people around the globe who aren’t able to witness the action in person.

I truly believe that connectivity drives socio-economic development and empowers communities with access to essential services. It also creates border-spanning moments of togetherness and unforgettable memories. I am keenly looking forward to experiencing this same feeling during the Olympics in just a few days’ time!