Zinwave has released details of the distributed antenna system (DAS) it has installed at the Olympic Stadium in Kiev, Ukraine.

The stadium, which hosted the final of UEFA Euro 2012 between Spain and Italy last summer, underwent major renovation in 2008 to provide the facilities needed for an internationally televised tournament. It is now the primary sports venue in the Ukraine and the second largest sports complex in Eastern Europe, with a seating capacity of more than 70 000. 

Although the newly renovated building comprised ultra-modern facilities, its overall layout restricted the transmission of private mobile radio (TETRA) in many areas, including all underground car parks, catering and maintenance areas, which posed major safety and security risks. 

Zinwave’s DAS technology, (the System 3000), was deployed because of its flexibility, open architecture, and its ability to support all frequencies between 150MHz and 2700MHz on a single hardware layer. The System 3000 ensures that signal-output is optimized at all times to facilitate critical radio communication, in the event of an emergency situation.

To avoid potential clashes between opposing fans inside the stadium and the immediate vicinity, UEFA required the installation of a secondary private mobile radio network (completed by a third-party) for use by its own staff for logistical, stewarding and crowd management purposes during last summer’s tournament.

Coverage tests carried out just before the opening ceremony revealed, however that signal output from the secondary network was low to non-existent in all underground areas, which presented serious problems in terms of public safety and security.

Zinwave’s in-building wireless technology comprises open-architecture software, so the secondary network was seamlessly integrated onto the DAS (without compromising performance), to provide optimal coverage. Subsequent tests demonstrated 100 per cent coverage throughout the stadium, enabling the third-party provider to fulfil its UEFA contract demands.

The secondary radio network has since been removed from the stadium, but the original installation is still in place and is actively used during all sports events and concerts.

Konstantyn Lubenec, chief executive officer of Dolya & Co, which installed the system, said: “The Zinwave system offered great flexibility and was easy to install. Its simple architecture and its multi-frequency support enabled us to integrate UEFA’s two-way radio system onto the overall DAS without affecting performance or signal output. During the opening ceremony it became apparent that our installation was the only one that provided reliable coverage underground. Zinwave’s DAS therefore played an important role during the tournament – acting as the ‘lifebuoy’ for all critical radio and public safety communications.”