Toronto’s Rogers Centre has finished an $8 million upgrade of its 5G network to prepare for one of the largest concert events expected in 2024, Taylor Swift’s historic six-night run as part of her ‘Eras Tour‘ this coming November. This upgrade could not be more timely but instead quite necessary, given that there will be a sellout audience of over 50,000 fans nightly in the arena, as anticipated by any major event like Swift’s performances.
With Swift’s concerts slated from November 14 to 16 and 21 to 23, this indeed guarantees for the very first time in history that back-to-back performances of six nights are staged at the highly renowned Rogers Centre, sealing Swift as a history-maker. And the economic impact promises to be equally impressive, with an estimated $282 million in direct spend, bringing a veritable torrent of cash into the local economy of Toronto.
It has invested as much as $8 million in upgrading the 5G network at the stadium to triple its capacity. The new system is designed to pull the equivalent network strength of 33 cell towers, ensuring faster speeds and reliable connectivity even when tens of thousands of fans are using their phones all at once. It was not a minor upgrade: it took 6,000 hours of planning and another 10,000 hours of installation. Among the many technological renovations were the installation of new, state-of-the-art antennas near the top of the Rogers Centre 86-meter-high roof to make sure every fan in their seats received seamless network access.
It hence requires such an unprecedented development in the network infrastructure at the priority level an event like that of Swift’s ‘Eras Tour’. This, thereby, enhanced capacity will enable fans to consume over 30 terabytes of mobile data in one day with events similar to the previous ones, sharing moments of the concert on social media platforms, live streaming, or simply interacting online without hindrance. Faster downloads and lower latency will upgrade the entire experience for fans, ensuring that the thrill inside a stadium is just as easily shared with those outside.
Attendee audiences will not only experience the signature Taylor Swift performances upfront, but they will also be part of digitally connected attendees who could share the experience in real time. Along with increased 5G speeds and coverage, sharing high-quality videos, pictures, and live updates on social media will be smoother than ever, enabling fans to amplify their experience well beyond the stadium walls.
But Swift’s Toronto visit serves valuables purposes other than the concert venue. Her six-night engagement is expected to generate disproportionate economic activity, with an estimated $282 million in direct spending here in the city. This amount is estimated based on the number of predicted visitors, their average spends per day and the multiplier effects of their spend on local economic activities. Everything from hotels to restaurants is about to receive a serious boost from the local economy with an influx of thousands of Swifties into Toronto from every nook and corner of the country, besides offshore. This is not just a musical event; it is an economic powerhouse.
This investment in upgrading Rogers Centre’s 5G goes beyond Taylor Swift’s tour. This is important infrastructure development inasmuch as large events of this nature are increasingly dependent on robust and high-capacity digital networks.
