Business News sponsored by Vodacom Transformation of Work:

Cisco collaborated with Fira de Barcelona at its Montjuïc and Gran Via venues to manage the MWC Barcelona network for the 13^th consecutive year, providing all attendees simple, seamless and secure wireless experiences during the event.

The agreement included basic and enhanced services supported by Cisco products during the MWC event. This included a free, secure Wi-Fi internet access for all attendees, as well as wireless experiences in exhibition and hot spot areas both indoors and outdoors for exhibitors and event organisers.

The infrastructure was powered by the Cisco Catalyst wired and wireless platform featuring the latest in Wi-Fi 6E technology and managed by Cisco Catalyst 9800 and Catalyst Center to support the network and all devices (switches, routers, and access points). Cisco Catalyst Center features advanced AI capabilities to keep the network optimised and users connected. Cisco Thousandeyes was key to monitor the end user quality of service while Cisco Umbrella allowed to detect and report attacks from inside and outside of the venue.

“For the past 13 years, Cisco has been committed to advancing the connected experience for MWC Barcelona attendees, with an innovative open roaming network that offers secure and reliable Wi-Fi access with no authentication required,” said Jonathan Davidson, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Cisco Networking. “Together with Fira de Barcelona, we’re setting the new standard for years to come, by integrating practical AI solutions that make the network predictable, reliable, and more secure to support intense demand throughout the world’s largest connectivity event.”

Onsite operational view

Services offered by Cisco covered wireless access, aggregation and core network switching, secure high bandwidth connections and security services such as sign-on and traffic policy reinforcement between visitors and booths. The network also allowed MWC attendees to experience the future of connectivity with seamless and secure Wi-Fi onboarding via WBA OpenRoaming.

During the event, the Cisco Network Operations Center (NOC) at the Cisco booth streamed a live operational view from the MWC show network. This anonymous live aggregated data allowed visitors to see first-hand how Cisco networking solutions are powering one of the most demanding networks on the planet.