Seattle Stadium will host six FIFA World Cup 2026 matches. Credit: Steph Chambers/Getty Images With 11 host cities across the U.S., the 23rd edition of the FIFA World Cup requires intense coordination. The global event began Thursday and runs through July 19. The Federal Communications Commission believes communications efforts are well positioned, thanks to what it described as a collaborative effort among multiple agencies. In a release, Chairman Brendan Carr said that the agency’s experts spanning radio engineering, public safety and enforcement have partnered with federal, state and local officials to support the World Cup across the country. “The FCC team has been working to support robust, resilient and secure communications networks across the host cities, including supporting the efforts of the private sector communications providers,” Carr said. Those host cities and areas of New York/New Jersey, Dallas, Los Angeles, Kansas City, the San Francisco Bay Area, Houston, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Seattle, Miami and Boston/Foxborough have all received support to conduct advance planning, testing and coordination, according to the commission. Special efforts In May, the FCC designated Louis Libin as special frequency coordinator and RF spectrum manager for the World Cup. He is the point of contact for coordinating Broadcast Auxiliary Services operations. Those BAS stations, under Part 74 of the FCC rules, make it possible for radio and TV stations and networks to transmit program material between various locations. FWC 2026, a subsidiary of Fédération Internationale de Football Association, anticipates that approximately 2,700 pieces of equipment, such as interruptible foldback systems for real-time communication, wireless intercoms and talkbacks for production crews and RF audio links for sound mixing and audio routing, will be used to support around 300 media agencies. Spectrum sweep As crowds connect to their devices, international sporting events naturally apply a great deal of stress to communications systems. The commission explained that this creates a congested environment where thousands of people are trying to receive and transmit information on wireless and broadcast networks. Priority number one, the FCC said, is to ensure that radio spectrum requirements essential to the World Cup — including broadcast operations, public safety, event security and national security preparations — are supported. For example, Libin told TV Tech that a large number of pairs and single 450 MHz and 455 MHz channels will be in use for the event, for both two-way communications and IFBs. To identify harmful interference, the FCC has deployed… [TheTopNews] Read More.
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