Mobile Data Usage Up On the Ice

Fans are flooding the stands with their smartphones in hand to take in the playoff action at the United Center as the Blackhawks are looking to repeat as champions. Fans are increasingly using their devices to share the most memorable experiences of the playoff run – from slap shots to shootouts. That’s why AT&T worked to ensure the influx in mobile traffic that Chicago hockey fans are using at the United Center can be handled by its Distributed Antenna System (DAS), which helps increase cellular capacity from inside the venue.

Here’s what we saw from AT&T customers using our Distributed Antenna System (DAS) mobile network at some recent games at the United Center in Chicago:

• So far during this year’s playoffs at the United Center, Blackhawk fans sent and received the most data during last night’s thrilling double overtime victory, when more than 149GB crossed our in-venue mobile network.
• The average total data usage for the home games during this year’s playoffs from inside the United Center is 133GB. 133GB is the equivalent to more than 380K social media posts with photos.
  • The average data usage during the 2014 playoff games is 49%, or 44GB, more than the data usage during the regular season home finale on April 9. That’s equivalent to an additional 125K social media posts with photos being sent or received from the game.
• Blackhawk fans uploaded and downloaded the most data during a single hour so far in the playoffs during the third home game of the first series. From 4-5pm CST more than 38GB crossed our in-venue mobile network.