The 2026 UEFA Champions League final will be held on Saturday, May 30, at the Puskás Arena. At the venue, CETIN Hungary Ltd. operates a multi-operator mobile telecommunications infrastructure in the form of a complex radio antenna system. This enables mobile service providers to deliver reliable voice and data connectivity to tens of thousands of spectators during the match – as well as at any other major event held at the Arena.

In high-traffic areas – such as sports events, residential complexes, office buildings, hotels, newly built urban districts, industrial parks or shopping centers – coverage provided by mobile operators does not necessarily guarantee adequate signal strength for everyone. At such locations, it is advisable to deploy additional capacity in the form of dedicated antenna systems.

The Puskás Arena is one such location: it can host 64,000 spectators during matches and up to 80,000 at concerts. Since its opening in 2019, CETIN Hungary has been operating a complex radio antenna system at the Arena, which currently consists of 148 antennas. Most of these form part of a multi-operator system, meaning they are available to customers of all three retail mobile operators – Yettel, Telekom and One. This plays an important role in ensuring that the tens of thousands of spectators can rely on stable voice and data services during the Champions League final – and at any other large-scale event.

Since 2019, user behavior has changed significantly: in addition to calling and browsing, more people use their mobile devices for streaming and live video transmission, while 5G-capable devices are becoming increasingly common. Traffic data from previous major events held here – from Ed Sheeran to Azahriah – also confirms this trend. In preparation for the Champions League final, CETIN Hungary has therefore implemented targeted network upgrades, expanding 5G mobile network capacity and further strengthening the on-site infrastructure.

The multi-operator system at the Puskás Arena consists of 12 sectors, arranged in a circular layout and covering all 8 levels of the stadium. A total of 138 2x2 multi-path (MIMO) antennas are deployed, each serving an area with a radius of approximately 20 meters (and 60–80 meters in less congested areas). This infrastructure is supported by 17 kilometers of antenna cabling and 264 distribution units.

For Yettel Hungary, the high-speed, high-capacity 5G network capability has been expanded from four to ten active antennas, installed on the roof structure and scoreboard installations. Eight of these primarily serve the grandstands with high-speed 5G – effectively doubling capacity for spectators – while two are designed to serve the pitch area. Although these will not be needed during the Champions League final, they are important during concerts, when large numbers of visitors use the network there as well. The radio system is supported by three kilometers of fiber backbone and access network.

CETIN Hungary is Hungary’s first mobile telecommunications infrastructure provider. It owns and operates one of the country’s most significant telecommunications network infrastructures, with more than 4,080 base stations nationwide. Approximately 60 percent of these already support 5G technology. Its largest customer is Yettel Hungary, but it also provides services to other mobile operators and more than 50 partners.