Customer Profile – British Athletics
British Athletics is the consumer brand of UK Athletics, the national governing body of the leading Olympic and Paralympic sports in Britain.¹ This nonprofit organization works closely with the home countries to develop and grow all areas of sports, including elite performance, coaching, major international events, competition, and grassroots programs within schools and clubs. The organization is responsible for overseeing the governance of athletics events in the UK as well as athletes, their development, and athletics officials.
Business Challenges
Like any competitive and dynamic industry, supporting athletes with their training, performance, and travel requires high levels of security. British Athletics was faced with the challenge of providing secure data connectivity at sporting venues, such as track and field sites, for staff and athletes during training, performance, and travel. The non-profit organization often relied on public Wi-Fi networks or staff mobile phones for data communications. However, this approach presented four key challenges:
- Data Security Issues: Transmitting sensitive information about athletes, such as logistics or training data, over public Wi-Fi networks created security risks.
- Limited Coverage: Employees couldn’t always rely on their mobile phones for data communications because their plans didn’t include roaming coverage for every country required.
- High Costs: Even when mobile phones had the necessary coverage, the organization incurred high data roaming rates that drove up expenses.
- Phone Battery Degradation: Battery performance suffered when staff used their mobile phones for both voice calls and data sessions.
The Globalgig Solution
To support its work at events worldwide, British Athletics turned to Globalgig for a more secure, reliable, and cost-effective connectivity solution. The Globalgig team designed a solution that combined robust devices and patented SIM technology to provide better network connectivity globally. The Globalgig Wireless Broadband solution included:
- MiFi devices equipped with proprietary Multi-IMSI (International Mobile Subscriber Identity) SIM card, built on Globalgig’s patented technology
- A SIM card with access to hundreds of mobile network operators in over 200 countries, enabling British Athletics to use mobile phones for secure connectivity nearly anywhere
- Access to Globalgig’s Orchestra platform, giving employees and athletes easy visibility into their data usage, device, and location data
Results – Better Coverage at a Lower Cost
Globalgig’s innovative solution delivered a whole host of benefits that improve British Athletics’ network connectivity at sports venues around the globe, including:
- More secure data communications, with no need to use unsecured public Wi-Fi networks
- Better worldwide coverage, providing assurance that no matter where British Athletics travels, its employees will have reliable connectivity
- An enhanced experience for athletes, since the MiFi devices serve as a secure hot spot
- Optimized data pricing, with multiple IMSIs on a single SIM card allowing Globalgig to choose the most cost-effective network operator for each country
- Better expense control, with the Orchestra platform providing greater visibility into wireless data use by device
- Easier wireless management, through a single SIM card vendor that delivers one invoice and worldwide support