Ahead of the Women’s Rugby World Cup opener in the UK last week, Virgin Media O2 and Boldyn Networks have significantly enhanced 5G connectivity at the Stadium of Light in Sunderland – a major boost as Sunderland AFC marks its Premier League return.
Boldyn’s connectivity-as-a-service (CaaS) is the UK’s first full neutral host RAN managed service in a high-density demand venue.
Boldyn’s CaaS showcases the potential of advanced Open RAN technology, featuring an enhanced connectivity managed service that combines an evolved DAS system supporting O-RAN fronthaul interface standard and JMA XRAN®, a pioneering 5G O-RAN technology stack, with Boldyn’s Network Management System (NMS).
This fully virtualized O-RAN-based platform reduces space and power requirements by up to 60% compared to traditional indoor architectures. The integration with Boldyn’s NMS reduces operational costs through the digitisation and automation of the service assurance processes.
With its innovative CaaS, Boldyn provides dedicated network management, monitoring, and optimisation resources for the venue— increasing the levels of service assurance while reducing involvement from the mobile operator’s own resources. Most importantly, the 49,000 stadium spectators benefit from high-speed 5G connectivity, a significant upgrade from its decade-old network system, resulting in richer connectivity experiences for everyone.
