Large-scale events like Sziget, where tens of thousands, sometimes even hundreds of thousands of people gather and rely on their phones to connect, get information and share their experiences, require special mobile network development. Together with its network infrastructure partner Cetin, Yettel is boosting everyday network capacity with 31 extra sectors at 20 locations across the Sziget site. This ensures the mobile network can handle the sudden surge in data and voice traffic during the festival.
Mobile internet use at the festival was off the charts in 2024 – nearly 600 GB of data in just one hour
At Sziget, a single base station needs to handle up to 25 times the peak-hour traffic of an average base station in Budapest. Compared to an average summer week on Óbuda Island, last year’s Sziget saw festival-goers making around 200 times more calls and using 1,200 times more data on the Yettel network.
The data also revealed that at the 2024 Sziget Festival, festival-goers generated over 50% more data traffic during peak hours compared to the previous year, with nearly 25% of it on the 5G network. Within that, the highest traffic (almost 600 GB) was recorded between 11 p.m. and midnight on the last day. Around that time, among others, Four Tet was performing. The festival’s last day was also the most popular in terms of data uploads. Festival-goers generated the highest volume of uploads between 10 and 11 p.m., during Fred Again’s main stage concert, as well as between 9 and 10 p.m., during parties such as Skrillex’s set.
The network capacity of a medium-sized county seat
Yettel has Hungary’s fastest mobile network according to national average speed measurements by szelessav.net and Ookla Speedtest Intelligence data for the second half of 2024. The operator has been thoroughly preparing for Sziget Festival. Nearly two months of preparatory work and a team of about thirty experts are dedicated to ensuring that visitors can once again rely on a stable, fast, and dependable network throughout the entire duration of the event.
“Based on last year’s experience, we can say that the reinforced network performed well at Sziget, with customer experience remaining stable throughout the entire event. This year, we have continued our developments building on that foundation. As traffic increases year after year, we have also expanded capacity and further improved our 5G network, particularly in the most densely visited areas, such as around the Main Stage, where most people are streaming content and sharing their experiences. To serve the hundreds of thousands of visitors across the entire festival site, we are once again preparing with the network capacity of a medium-sized city," said Balázs Mang, Yettel’s Director of Technical Strategy.
Focus on digital freedom
In addition to network development, Yettel, as the festival’s official telecommunications partner, is increasing the number of mobile charging points on site, ensuring that everyone can stay connected throughout the event.
“For Yettel, the Sziget is not just a festival but a special space where connection takes on both a digital and a human meaning. That’s why, this year again, we aim to support unlimited festival fun with a digital solution that makes the experience even fuller and more unforgettable. Visitors can create their own personalised aftermovie using the Yettel Sziget YoMo feature in the Sziget app, which combines their own captured moments with Sziget’s official daily videos using artificial intelligence. Next to the Yettel Colosseum, we have also set up an Aftermovie Zone, where we provide everything needed for the perfect YoMo video: 360° video recording, extra content, and unlimited internet through our QR code scavenger hunt. Our presence at Sziget resonates with our brand mission: as a telco partner, we support unlimited festival fun and deliver digital freedom through experiences,” said Olga Bölöni, Acting Head of Brand and Marketing Communications at Yettel.
Continuous connectivity is ensured not only by the reinforced network and Yettel’s mobile charging points, but also by the Yepp digital subscription, which domestic visitors can request online and use to try unlimited internet free of charge during Sziget. The mobile operator is offering unlimited domestic data also to foreign visitors with its newly available Yettel Pass plans, designed specifically for tourists.
More information: https://www.yettel.hu/sziget