Vertical: Sports
Application: Point-of-sale transactions, mission-critical staff communications, CCTV and body-worn cameras, media connectivity, digital signage
Ecosystem: Antevia Networks, Spry Fox Networks
Private Network: 5G
Bath Rugby, the current Premiership Rugby Champions, has implemented a private 5G network at its historic Recreation Ground stadium to address persistent connectivity problems that were affecting operations and fan experience on match days. The stadium, which first opened in 1894 and sits in the heart of Bath about 100 miles west of London, hosts as many as 14,500 spectators for each home game.
The club had been experiencing severe congestion on its legacy public Wi-Fi and public mobile networks during peak times, causing point-of-sale terminals to fail and slowing service at food, beverage, and club shop locations. The connectivity failures directly impacted revenue and created frustration for both staff and fans. What initially began as an effort to stabilize retail operations evolved into a broader deployment covering multiple match-day services.
Antevia Networks supplied its 5G Shift system to deliver the private network, which now provides predictable, low-latency connectivity across the entire stadium and surrounding fan zones. The network supports an expanding range of applications beyond the original retail focus. Point-of-sale terminals now operate reliably even when the venue reaches capacity. The club also uses the network for push-to-talk communications linking medical teams and match-day operations staff, as well as CCTV and body-worn cameras for crowd safety and control.
Additional applications include temporary connectivity for VIP hospitality areas, high-speed access for journalists filing live reports, and digital signage across fan areas that delivers real-time interviews, replays, and information to spectators. The deployment aims to address what Antevia describes as limitations in traditional Wi-Fi and congested public mobile networks for venues with high user density.
The 5G Shift system uses a cloud-based virtualized radio access network architecture built on O-RAN standards and commercial off-the-shelf hardware. Antevia’s patented multiplexing technology enables multiple radios to appear as a single shared 5G cell, which reduces handover issues and decreases the number of access points required. According to the company, deployments to date have required less than 10 percent of the access points typically needed for Wi-Fi coverage.
The installation required no RF planning and can be managed by Bath Rugby’s existing IT team in a manner similar to enterprise Wi-Fi, rather than requiring telecommunications domain expertise. Antevia positions this approach as lowering both cost and complexity compared to traditional private cellular deployments, which have historically depended on specialist engineering and extended installation cycles.
Bath Rugby worked with Spry Fox Networks, a local enterprise resilient wireless services firm, to deploy the network. Stuart Waine, Director at Spry Fox Networks, described the results: “Antevia Networks’ 5G Private Network has enabled us to provide Bath Rugby with a stable and reliable communications platform to support staff operations, incident management, and medical teams. It has also allowed Bath Rugby to elevate the matchday experience for their fans. Working with Antevia Networks has been a genuine pleasure, and we look forward to deploying their 5G Private Network solution with a wide range of other clients as part of our future growth strategy.”
Simon Cosgrove, CEO of Antevia Networks, emphasized the broader applicability of the technology: “Bath Rugby’s Recreation Ground is a perfect example of how simple, scalable and cost-effective private 5G can deliver real-world value. 5G Shift gives organisations comprehensive coverage with ultra-low latency at a low price point, without the complexities and heavy engineering normally associated with the deployment of private cellular. We’re proud to be supporting Bath Rugby with a network that stands up, even when the stadium is at full capacity, and we’re excited to keep expanding the use cases that can help deliver operational and commercial benefits for the club.”
