Verizon Super Bowl fans used 47.8 TB of data; AT&T fans used 21 TB
Both AT&T and Verizon reported a record amount of data on their networks in and around State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.
Of the 67,827 in-person Super Bowl LVII fans, Verizon said that 60% were its customers, and together, they used 47.8 TB of data, which the carrier said is equivalent to a single user binge-watching HD video for more than three years.
AT&T said that its customers used 21 TB of data on Sunday, compared to 13 TB last year and 10.2 TB during 2020’s game. Nearly half of the usage, 9 TB, occurred during pre-game activities. Usage during the game itself peaked during the fourth quarter at 3 TB. AT&T also shared that 5G data usage was up by 81% compared to last year’s game.
Usage on Verizon’s network at yesterday’s game represents a 57% increase from last year’s Super Bowl. The carrier also noted that the biggest spikes of wireless data usage occurred during the halftime show and at kickoff as fans streamed video and browsed the web. Peak download speeds on the network hit 4,200 Mbps, while upload speeds reached 324 Mbps.
Ahead of the game, Verizon invested more than $100 million in network upgrades and enhancements in and around State Farm Stadium and the greater Phoenix area over the last few years. Inside the stadium, Verizon installed 490 5G nodes, 1,400 4G and 5G antennas under the seats throughout the stadium and eight MatSing balls.
For its part, AT&T deployed more than 2,000 wireless network antennas inside the stadium and 12 miles of fiber and power cables, as well as more than 60+ small cells outside the stadium, supported by 15 miles of fiber. The carrier also installed additional public safety’s Band 14 spectrum to serve first responders.
