In preparation for Taylor Swift’s six sold-out Eras Tour performances, the Canadian communications company Rogers has invested $8 million in upgrading its 5G network at the Rogers Centre, as reported by Toronto Sun.
To deliver high-quality connectivity to all attendees, including those with floor seats, Rogers’ technical teams installed antennas near the top of the venue’s 86-meter-high roof. This marks the first time that fans on the floor will experience the same robust 5G network performance as those in stadium seats.
According to Rogers, its network team dedicated 6,000 hours to planning and 10,000 hours to installing the improved equipment, beginning the project over the summer.
Swift fans are known to use significant amounts of data during her performances, livestreaming and sharing videos and photos. Rogers highlighted the success of its enhanced network during the Pink concert in August, where download speeds doubled and upload speeds were eight times faster compared to a previous event at the venue.
Rogers expects record-breaking data usage during Swift’s Toronto shows, similar to previous stops on her tour. At Wembley Stadium in London, “Swifties” set a record by consuming 5.58 terabytes (TB) of mobile data, while AT&T’s network handled an astounding 28.9 TB during a single day of her Arlington, Texas tour stop.
For context, sharing 200,000 photos or 400 hours of video would consume just 1 TB of data. With Swift’s popularity, the upcoming Toronto shows are expected to shatter data usage records once again.