Manchester United unleashes Extreme Networks Wi-Fi

Red Devils fans attending matches at Old Trafford this season can now experience fast new Wi-Fi provided by Extreme Networks.

Extreme Networks became the Club's official Wi-Fi network solutions and Wi-Fi analytics provider in 2022, committed to delivering the latest generation of Wi-Fi connectivity at the historic stadium for the hundreds of thousands of fans who visit the "Theatre of Dreams" each season.

Earlier this year, Extreme completed the rollout of a new Wi-Fi 6 network at Old Trafford, deployed in partnership with Verizon Business. 

The 'ultra-fast' connectivity supports the Club's innovative digital offerings, including mobile ticketing and membership rewards. It provides the Club with a platform to explore new immersive services to improve the matchday experience for fans.

The Club will leverage the ExtremeCloud IQ platform to gain visibility into network performance and management across the venue and ExtremeAnalytics solutions to understand fan behaviour better and drive more personalised and informed decisions around the fan experience and overall venue operations.

The new Wi-Fi 6 network supports modern experiences for fans, including updated digital signage throughout the historical stadium and mobile ticket scanning at the stadium entrances.

Extreme Networks ensures that fans can reliably access social media apps, stay in contact with friends and family during matches, and leverage the Manchester United mobile app to navigate the stadium or get match updates when they're away from their seats.

ExtremeAnalytics provides Old Trafford's operations team with real-time insights into fan activity and network performance, which they can use to improve digital fan experiences throughout the stadium continuously. 

This includes application usage insights, which can help identify areas and moments of increased usage to ensure better provision of services. Extreme is the only networking vendor to provide Wi-Fi insights and analytics. 

Moreover, Manchester United's IT team is leveraging ExtremeCloud IQ to monitor and optimise network performance, allowing it to view the entire stadium network through a single dashboard. 

The cloud-managed network also enables the IT team to easily scale operations based on event needs and automatically adjust traffic streams based on network traffic, helping ensure seamless experiences for fans and staff connected to the network.

Attiq Qureshi, Chief Digital Information Officer at Manchester United, says: "We're delighted to be supported by Extreme Networks to deliver world-class connectivity to our fans within the Theatre of Dreams." 

"Old Trafford is steeped in history; however, it is vital we keep innovating with the best possible modern digital solutions which allow us to improve the overall matchday fan experience."

"The next generation of connectivity at Old Trafford will provide the club with a great platform for future digital innovation as well as help the club better understand the wants and needs of our huge fanbase," says Qureshi.

Norman Rice, Chief Operating Officer of Extreme Networks, says: "The network is at the heart of every organisation, whether you're a hospital serving patients both in clinics and at home, a manufacturer leaning into warehouse automation or a sports franchise playing in a 113-year-old stadium." 

"With functions from EMS services to retail stores, a stadium on gameday is like a small smart city, and the network supports every digital service. Extreme has years of experience designing and delivering networks and Wi-Fi experiences at some of the world's most historic and coveted venues. 

"The new network at Old Trafford will enable its operations team to improve experiences for everyone who visits the stadium while streamlining match day operations," says Rice.