Saudi: STC Group provides connectivity for Esports World Cup

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Leading Saudi telecom group stc is playing a vital role at the inaugural edition of Esports World Cup (EWC), the international esports tournament series, delivering seamless connectivity across all competition venues.

EWC is currently underway at Boulevard City, Riyadh and will conclude on August 25.

An engine of digital transformation, stc will be driving Saudi Arabia to become the world’s most connected and digitalized nation, in line with Vision 2030. Furthermore, the Group is supporting the kingdom to become the premier global hub for gaming and esports.

stc Group is a naming partner for three key locations—stc Arena, stc Play Gaming Hall, and stc TV World Cup Studios - offering dynamic and immersive digital and gaming experiences, said the company in a statement.

As an elite and founding partner of the debut EWC, stc Group is providing a range of services designed to optimise network performance and enhance the gaming experience for gamers and audiences alike, it stated.

The Saudi group’s gaming division offers engaging activities, including an ongoing prediction segment for all tournaments on its platform, as well as a shop featuring the latest gaming gear and setup.

To ensure an exceptional gaming experience, stc Group has established one of the largest operating centres dedicated to monitoring the gaming services infrastructure in real time, supported by high resolution 168-megapixel screens for continuous world-class service optimization.

Real-time performance monitoring probes are being utilized along the entire EWC circuit path to measure performance KPIs every 30 seconds, with a 24/7 monitoring process ensuring over 99.9% uptime for all EWC-related services.

A dynamic escalation process and real-time alert mechanism has also been set up via Telegram to ensure a swift response to resolve any potential issues.

"stc Group’s service optimization and tracking capabilities will further help boost the gaming experience. By monitoring over 25 online games and streaming IP addresses, we are guaranteeing a 100% optimal path for connectivity," said a company spokesperson.

Using sophisticated software, it will conduct forensic analysis on IPs, thus ensuring precise and efficient management of network traffic.

stc Group's commitment to seamless connectivity includes achieving significant latency reduction across key gaming servers, ensuring a highly responsive and outstanding gaming experience. By optimizing link utilization to maintain less than 70% usage during peak times and implementing end-to-end Quality of Service configurations, stc Group guarantees smooth and uninterrupted gameplay, said the spokesperson.

Utilizing advanced SDN controller technology, traffic is steered over low-latency, uncongested links, providing minimal delays and maximum performance.

As part of its elaborate arrangements, the Saudi group is working to increase 5G capacity in the area of the event by more than 42% and expanding the coverage in the surrounding areas by 20%.

Automated intelligence has been utilised by stc to identify the shortest gaming links between gamers and servers, ensuring recovery times of less than 50 milliseconds, and maintaining high performance even during disruptions.

The group's extensive range of services and cutting-edge connectivity solutions are integral to this transformation, aligning with Vision 2030’s goal of establishing the kingdom as a premier global gaming and esports destination, it added.