DOHA: Live broadcasts during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 will benefit from a state-of-the-art fibre network system built by the Supreme Committee for Delivery & Legacy (SC).
Billions of fans around the world are set to tune in to matches during the tournament, which will be held at eight stadiums from 21 November to 18 December. Qatar’s high-speed fibre optic network was tested during the FIFA Arab Cup, which was held at the tail-end of 2021 and included matches at six tournament venues.
The fibre optic network connected every stadium with the International Broadcast Coordination Centre, which was located next to Al Bayt Stadium – the venue for both the opening match and final, among other games.
Maryam Al Muftah, the SC’s Director of Digital Services & Innovation, said: “With the World Cup coming to the Middle East and Arab world for the first time, we are extremely proud of being able to deliver the highest capacity broadcast contribution network in the history of FIFA tournaments.”
Qatar’s fibre network is supported by traditional satellite broadcasting capabilities to ensure media rights licensees are guaranteed an uninterrupted signal.
“We are proud to have tested this cutting-edge technology during the FIFA Arab Cup and excited to finalise the second phase of the project, which will bring both Lusail and Khalifa International stadiums into the network,” added Al Muftah.
Once complete, the network will also connect team base camps and external broadcasting sites. During the FIFA World Cup™, all tournament sites and other broadcast locations will send video feeds to the International Broadcast Centre before making their way around the world.
“Ultimately, what matters to us is for people around the world to take in all the action from the field of play and to learn more about Qatar and the region through the lens of the World Cup, and that’s why we wanted to deliver a higher network capacity than ever before,” added Al Muftah.
