Football Supporters Boost Brazil's Roaming Traffic by 400% During June and July

BRUSSELS, August 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Operators see rapid increase in voice, SMS and data roaming as football supporters, players and officials share experience with friends and relatives  

BICS, a global provider of international connectivity and interoperability services, has reported operators in Brazil saw a spike of 400% in the use of roaming services in Brazil during June and July as match spectators, media and footballers from around the world shared their experience with friends and family at home.

High profile sporting events generate a significant increase in roaming traffic. During the football matches themselves, local networks reported a surge of 300% in SMS roaming traffic with the largest peaks seen in breaks during the game and following a goal or the final whistle.  

During high profile events, surges in demand for voice and data roaming services can strain the network which needs to be carefully managed. In order to ensure high quality connectivity throughout, BICS deploys special taskforces, including a range of engineers to the regions ahead of major tournaments and special events.

To help operators analyse and address the demand in Brazil, BICS set up a monitoring station with its roaming analytics and management suite in its Americas office. This ensured operators were able to provide reliable, fast and seamless coverage, even during peak traffic periods.

Johan Wouters, Senior VP Operations and Customer Services, BICS said: "The number of football fans accessing voice and data services in Brazil during the recent football tournament was staggering and required detailed strategic planning from operators and roaming partners to ensure subscribers' enjoyment of events were not hampered by network unreliability. In recent years the number of smartphone users demanding access to high-bandwidth services wherever they are in the world has exploded.

"In order to counteract this, operators need to deploy specific analytics and traffic management solutions to ensure they can continue to supply the highest quality of experience to existing customers and new users on the network. BICS is committed to helping operators deploy the latest systems to ensure the quality of services during global spectacles such as this Summer's tournament in Brazil."

About BICS 

BICS delivers best-in-class international wholesale solutions to any communication service provider worldwide. Through its Mosaic portfolio, a comprehensive, flexible and innovative suite of solutions designed to be used individually, or collectively, BICS meets the existing and future requirements of the global telecoms industry.

BICS is headquartered in Brussels with regional offices in Bern, Dubai, Madrid, New York and Singapore. We also have a satellite office in Beijing and local representation in Accra, Cape Town, Miami, Montevideo, Nairobi and Toronto. Our team continuously strives to provide our customers with the highest levels of quality, reliability and interoperability enabling them to maximise their end-user value.

With our successful consolidation strategy, and a continuing focus on technological advancement and innovation, we have achieved a world-leading position in the international Voice and Mobile Data markets.

For more information, please visit: http://www.bics.com or