Sydney Olympics 2000 - Australia

The customer

Good communications is vital when you're involved in one of the world's largest sporting events - The Sydney 2000 Olympics.

The challenge

With games organisers, security and broadcast personnel, and spectators all trying to use wireless equipment to keep in touch before and during the 2000 Games, Sydney became a very congested RF environment.

The communications requirements for Sydney Olympic Broadcasting Organisation (SOBO) alone were enormous with the company becoming the world's largest broadcast organisation during the Games, employing more than 3000 people and producing around 3400 hours of live coverage.

The solution

Tait supplied equipment for five Olympic contracts. Twelve duplex base stations were installed at Sydney Olympic park - supported by portable repeaters. These covered the main stadium, Superdome and the aquatic, hockey and tennis centres.

Tait base stations and portables were also used during the weightlifting at the Darling Harbour Convention Centre, at the baseball and softball at Blacktown and at the synchronised swimming at Ryde Pool.

The equipment linked SOBO's directors in the production control rooms with their wireless operators, sound crew and other field personnel.

Mike Skerman the SOBO RF Engineering Specialist says, "The Tait equipment operated faultlessly in what was a very crowded and unpredictable RF environment.

"The handheld radios performed exceptionally well in the harsh broadcast environment. Not a single one of the 400 or so handhelds provided came back damaged or faulty.

"During the Games it was great not to have to worry about the Tait radios, firstly because they performed so well and secondly because the Tait team was always there, willing and ready to help with any situations that arose."