Olympics Get Technologically 'Connected'

The London 2012 Games are fast approaching and it would seem that they aim to be the most technologically connected possible- however some still have their worries.
It is thought that press and broadcasters will reach a vast global audience of billions through a multitude of media channels- at a capacity that has never been seen before.
Recent reports have revealed that a one-of-a-kind network infrastructure provided by Cisco will underpin the vital delivery of all fixed voice telephony plus increasing amounts of video and data traffic.
From the Main Press Centre and International Broadcast Centre in the Olympic Park, press and broadcasters will aim to deliver enhanced data, voice and video content around the globe. This content will be carried over a single, fully converged network, and if that wasn't enough, it's for the very first time.
However, despite the positive outlook as to how ‘connected’ the summer Olympics may be, some have raised concerns about technology during the games.
While the athletes competing in the London Olympic Games this summer are likely to be performing at their very peak, the same might not ring true for the host city’s Internet and mobile phone networks, according to various reports.
Raphael Satter of the Associated Press (AP) said: "Those responsible for London’s network of fiber optic cables, phone masts and Wi-Fi hotspots are bracing for a data deluge as the events get under way… Experts say the network should be able to cope — but they warned of sluggishness during peak times and said an unexpected surge could easily push the system over the edge."
Meanwhile there will also be a high demand for wireless spectrum with claims that broadcasters and the media will be placing more demand on the UK’s spectrum reserves than ever before.
Communications regulator Ofcom has already warned that the Olympics are likely to require up 20,000 separate wireless frequency assignments. The regulator said that at the end of the day getting the glimmer of the gold metals into the viewers living rooms would depend on spectrum – a limited resource that you can’t see, hear or touch.
(LB)