Telent continues partnership with North West 200

Event organisers, media broadcast outlets, on-site emergency services personnel and visitors will all continue to have access to reliable connectivity at the largest outdoor sporting event in Ireland for the next three years.

As reported by Telent, the contract extension was awarded to Telent to provide the voice and data communications infrastructure for the North West 200.

Their successful collaboration is set to span two decades.

This year’s motorcycle road race took place from May 6-11, 2024, attracting more than 150,000 visitors and streamed to millions worldwide every year.

Telent installed the equipment at various points around the race circuit and had a team of ten staff on-site to support the event, addressing any additional requirements or potential technical incidents.

Comprehensive technical solutions provided by Telent

Telent delivered the telephony, radio voice communications, timing infrastructure, race clocks and timing screens.

They also provided the off-site TV production company, which livestreamed the event, with a “fibre to the camera” solution.

This included cabling to cameras, radio communications from the off-site producer to the cameramen and commentators via Digital Mobile Radio (DMR) communications, and 4G SIM-based back-up backhaul.

Jo Gretton, CEO at Telent, said: “We are delighted to have secured a three-year extension with North West 200, building on our success together and supporting its technical requirements for the past 18 years.

“Telent plays a crucial role as a trusted partner in supporting critical digital infrastructure, and at this year’s race, I was one of the 150,000 fans in attendance, benefitting from the reliable communications the event had to offer.”

Annual transformation of the greenfield site

The greenfield site is transformed annually into a racetrack, with all communications equipment installed as part of the set-up and removed after the event.

The technical solutions included IP microwave link deployment, IPTV solutions for timing and BBC video distribution, Cisco switch infrastructure, provision of spectator LED screens and messaging, DMR solutions, analogue radio-controlled red lights, IP telephony and safety camera solutions.

Mervyn Whyte MBE, Event Director at North West 200, said: “As we welcomed hundreds of thousands of fans across the globe to this year’s event, a cutting-edge network that promises seamless connectivity, live-streaming and communications is as critical as ever. Telent’s continued support once again proved to be crucial.”

IFSJ comment

The extension of Telent’s contract to provide communications infrastructure for the North West 200 highlights the importance of reliable and robust connectivity at major sporting events.

This partnership, now extending into its second decade, ensures that the event can accommodate the technological demands of organisers, media, emergency services, and visitors alike.

Telent’s role in installing and maintaining the necessary equipment underscores the complexity and scale of providing such services at a large outdoor event.

The annual transformation of the greenfield site into a fully functional racetrack with integrated communication solutions demonstrates the critical role that digital infrastructure plays in modern event management.