AT&T 5G+ hits peak speeds of 1.7Gbps at this year’s Super Bowl

By
published

Fans lucky enough to attend Super Bowl LV at the weekend were treated to speeds in excess of 1.7Gbps, courtesy of AT&T’s 5G= service.

AT&T Super Bowl LV speeds.
(Image credit: AT&T.)

This year’s Super Bowl LV took place in Tampa, Florida, and AT&T was on hand to deliver 5G services to the revellers and fans that were able to make it to the match. And although the crowd may have been smaller this year, the NFL was still able to allow 25,000 fans into the Raymond James Stadium.

Enhancing live entertainment is going to be a huge selling point for 5G, and although it hasn’t rolled out to every stadium across the United States, AT&T took the opportunity to reveal the kind of speeds and data usage that fans connected to its network were able to enjoy.

AT&T equipment used at Super Bowl LV to deliver 5G+.

(Image credit: AT&T.)

Average speeds of over 1Gbps

AT&T revealed that those accessing its 5G+ service at Super Bowl LV enjoyed an average speed of 1.3Gbps, with speeds peaking at 1.7Gbps. And despite there being a fraction of the fans in the stadium, compared to last year’s event, they actually consumed more data, at 10.7TB (10.2TB were used in the 2020 game in Miami).

AT&T Super Bowl LV stats.

(Image credit: AT&T.)

"AT&T teams deployed Band 14 spectrum (public safety’s “VIP lane”) across Tampa in the months before the game."

AT&T.

“While more than 7,000 first responders and essential workers attended the game as honored guests; AT&T was providing critical connections to hundreds of first responders at the stadium and around the Tampa area,” an AT&T spokesperson said. “AT&T teams deployed Band 14 spectrum (public safety’s “VIP lane”) across Tampa in the months before the game and brought in Cell on Wheels (COWs) and Cell on Light Trucks (COLTs) for added connectivity.”

AT&T workers at the Super Bowl.

(Image credit: AT&T.)

In the past 18 months AT&T spent $75 million upgrading its wireless network sites across Tampa, installed more than 20 5G+ (mmWave) sites inside stadium and in parking lots, as well as investing in 5G sites at Tampa International Airport.

“The game plan for AT&T was not just about what we could do to boost connectivity on game day, but to take connectivity in the Tampa market to the next level,” AT&T said. “Our All-Star team in Tampa made a commitment to upgrade our network to give our customers there a best-in-class wireless experience.”

Dan Oliver
Dan Oliver

Dan is a British journalist with 20 years of experience in the design and tech sectors, producing content for the likes of Microsoft, Adobe, Dell and The Sunday Times. In 2012 he helped launch the world's number one design blog, Creative Bloq. Dan is now editor-in-chief at 5Gradar, where he oversees news, insight and reviews, providing an invaluable resource for anyone looking to stay up-to-date with the key issues facing 5G.