Gates to Sothwell Festival 2025

Overview

In mid-June, Commsphere was approached by the organisers of the Gates to Southwell Festival. The previous year, the festival had experienced significant issues with card payment terminals due to poor mobile coverage, resulting in lost revenue at both the bar and the gate. The initial request was to provide a Wi-Fi network for the main bar area, but further discussions revealed a broader need for connectivity across the site.

Challenges

• Limited mobile coverage: The site had only partial coverage from a single cell tower, obscured by surrounding terrain.

• Multiple service areas: Connectivity was required not only for the bar, but also for the box office, camping administration, and later, the stewards’ admin point.

• High reliability needed: Stable internet was essential for payment processing and operational communications.

• Support for traders: Many vendors on-site were struggling with card payments due to poor connectivity.

Our Approach

Before proposing a solution, Commsphere conducted a detailed site survey, including:

• Analysis of cell tower coverage mapping data.

• On-site testing to confirm signal limitations.

• Evaluation of elevation and line-of-sight requirements for cellular data.

We determined that while a 10-meter mast could reach two cell towers approximately 10 miles away, throughput limitations meant cellular alone wouldn’t be sufficient.

Solution Delivered

We proposed and implemented a hybrid solution:

• Primary connectivity: 2× Starlink satellite systems.

• Backup connectivity: 2× cellular-based connections.

• Bonding technology: Our in-house solution combined all connections to ensure seamless failover and consistent performance, especially for banking and transactions.

Deployment Highlights

• Central Point of Presence (POP): Strategically placed to serve all key areas.

• Point-to-Point (P2P) links: Extended connectivity to the box office and camping admin, each served by Cisco access points.

• Main bar: Connected via 250m of outdoor-grade fibre, with a dedicated access point installed under the bar for optimal terminal performance.

• Stewards’ admin point: Added on request during the event, with service established within an hour thanks to spare equipment on hand.

Supporting Traders

Although our contract was limited to the organiser’s infrastructure, we responded to the organiser’s request to support traders. We:

• Created a separate Wi-Fi network overnight.

• Deployed additional equipment in the traders’ area.

• Used traffic shaping and quality of service (QoS) to ensure no impact on the organiser’s network.

Outcome

The event was a success. While every deployment has its learning curves—especially first-time setups—our team remained transparent and proactive. We’ve already begun working with the organisers to refine the solution for future events.

Client-Centric Values

At Commsphere, we pride ourselves on:

• Honesty: If something doesn’t go to plan, we communicate openly and work to resolve it.

• Flexibility: We adapt quickly to changing needs, even during live events.

• Partnership: We build long-term relationships based on trust and reliability.