Singapore Sports Hub to get Wi-Fi 7 network

Visitors to the Singapore Sports Hub can look forward to a major technology upgrade, with a new ultra-fast public Wi-Fi 7 network set to be rolled out across the entire precinct.

The project, when completed by the first half of 2026, is part of a wider plan that began in 2022 to reinvigorate the seven-venue precinct, which has the 55,000-seat National Stadium as its cornerstone.

Andrew Low, head of technology and data at Kallang Alive Sport Management (KASM), which manages the Sports Hub, said the goal is to use technology to improve the visitor experience from the moment a ticket is bought to the time a person leaves the venue.

He noted that efforts to refresh the Sports Hub have already resulted in a big increase in attendance at sporting, entertainment and community events. One key aim, he said, is to “bring the community in to enjoy the space”, giving the example of school rugby finals being held at the Sports Hub a day after the Singapore Rugby Sevens tournament in April 2025.

A major challenge for the new network is handling the huge number of people using their smartphones at the same time, especially during peak moments like a goal being scored at a football match or a favourite song at a concert.

The system is also being designed to handle unique situations, such as the estimated 20,000 fans who gathered outside the stadium during pop icon Taylor Swift’s recent concerts, her only tour stop in the region.

Other technical factors include how radio signals are affected by the stadium’s retractable roof and ensuring a strong connection across the whole site, which includes the 12,000-capacity Indoor Stadium and the 6,000-capacity Aquatic Centre.

The new network will use the latest Wi-Fi 7 technology from Cisco, with advanced security measures, including using artificial intelligence (AI) to identify and block threats, and to automatically optimise the network for the best possible signal.

Low explained that a public Wi-Fi network was chosen over relying on 5G to ensure it would be available for free to everyone, regardless of their mobile carrier.

Beyond providing a better internet connection, the network will also help KASM better understand how visitors move around the venues. This data can be used to manage crowds more effectively and improve services, such as allowing people to order food and drinks.

Low said all future initiatives at Singapore Sports Hub, including those relating to back of house functions, will build on the network, adding that more announcements would be made soon.

The Singapore Sports Hub’s project was highlighted at the Cisco Live conference in Melbourne, where the technology firm also cited similar large-scale network upgrades for international clients like food giant Nestlé and New Zealand’s University of Otago.

Nestlé, which has 275,000 employees in 188 countries, built an agile, resilient network using Cisco’s technology that eliminated the need for multiprotocol label switching (MPLS). It has achieved 99.97% availability and is also managed from a single dashboard.

The University of Otago is meeting the needs of its 22,000 students and 4,500 staff with a Cisco Wi-Fi network across its campus. The network caters for high-density areas, such as a library with 2,500 concurrent users, and student residences with an access point in each room.