Clear-Com optimizes Estádio da Luz communications

The new installation of this Portuguese stadium is based on a system that incorporates the Arcadia central station of 32 Ports of Clear-Com.

The Sport Lisboa e Benfica, one of the most prestigious football clubs in Portugal, has partnered with Clear-Com to update the Communications System of the Estádio da Luz, ensuring ideal coordination between the operational teams within the stadium.

Update addresses key communication challenges, including radio coverage issues in critical areas such as the pitch entrance tunnel and bench area, that are enclosed by thick safety glass, as well as providing comprehensive coverage throughout the field and fan zone.

To meet these demands, Clear-Com collaborated with the local partner Decimagem to support a proof of concept during a live game. The test used the FreeSpeak II Wireless Belt Transmitters and the IP transceivers by Clear-Com, that provided the necessary coverage, even in the most challenging areas of the stadium.

The Estádio da Luz,officially called Estádio do Sport Lisboa e Benfica, was inaugurated in 2003 and has a capacity for more than 65.000 Spectators. It featured a complex environment with its multiple seating levels and a central control room located on the third level.

Despite these challenges, only two Clear-Com transceivers were needed to provide complete coverage, even in the tunnel entering the pitch, where player interviews are frequently conducted.

You bring the proof, Subsequent discussions led to the implementation of a comprehensive communication system based on the Arcadia Central Station of 32 Clear-Com ports. This one supports four HelixNet IP-based speaker stations strategically located in the control room and other key locations. In addition, a dozen FreeSpeak II beltpacks and headphones were deployed, Divided into groups for camera operators, Led screen wall mount and Benfica Experience equipment.

To further expand communication capabilities, the Arcadia system was connected to a LQ Series IP Interface, allowing up to eight users to connect through Clear-Com's Agent-IC mobile app. This allows mobile users to maintain communication in areas covered by the extensive WiFi network 6 of Benfica, including the fan area outside the stadium.

The Agent-IC application it also offers coverage in areas without WiFi over cellular networks, ensuring strong and reliable communication on match days.

Benfica's existing intercom system was also integrated into the new configuration using Arcadia's latest firmware version and IV Direct function, that allows analog audio to be transported over IP. This was achieved without the need for additional wiring, as the existing IP network facilitated connectivity between the central control room and various operational positions throughout the stadium.

“Having participated in the project from the initial concept to the final installation, commissioning and training, I am very pleased to have been able to fulfill Benfica's original design commission. With the two IPT transceivers mounted on 40 meters high in the stadium structure, we were able to perform a tour test that showed that the entire stadium can be easily covered with the FreeSpeak II system. Working with the Benfica team and Decimagem was a pleasure”, explains John Sparrow, Senior Systems Consultant at Clear-Com EMEA.