Esports technology

Take esports to the next level

Colleges and universities everywhere are realizing the value of esports programs for energizing admissions and providing superior student experiences. Esports are video games that are played competitively. At the highest levels, esports are played by teams competing in arena spaces with thousands of spectators watching in person or online. Colleges and universities that successfully appeal to the growing interest in esports can realize new sources of revenue and gain a competitive advantage in recruiting new students.

College esports programs require esports technology that includes ultrafast, reliable internet connections and gaming equipment. Institutions that want to compete at an intercollegiate level are investing in state-of-the-art campus esports arenas. While these requirements may pose new challenges for campus IT teams, Spectrum Enterprise can provide the expertise and networking solutions for esports technology to build a thriving and competitive program.
 

The benefits of building an esports program

An investment in esports technology may be driven by the many benefits of establishing a competitive esports program.

• Brand awareness. With esports matches drawing millions of viewers, educational institutions that develop successful esports programs can expect to increase recognition of their brands with viewers throughout the country and around the world.
• Increased enrollment. Offering competitive intercollegiate programs and intramural opportunities on campus can be a significant driver for admissions. Gaming is highly popular with prospective students, both as a spectator sport and as a social activity.
• Additional revenue. Just as other college athletics program earn revenue through advertising and alumni contributions, esports programs can serve as a growing source of revenue for colleges and universities.
• New learning experiences. Esports offer another way for students to develop transferable skills in strategic thinking, teambuilding and computer science. From managing and promoting competitions to the skills involved in gameplay, esports provide a new way for students to engage, learn and advance.
   

Powering esports with Spectrum Enterprise

With a private fiber network backed by strong security and exceptional service level agreements (SLAs), Spectrum Enterprise has the expertise and proven solutions to help colleges and universities successfully implement esports technology.

Spectrum Enterprise offerings for esports include:

• Dedicated Fiber Internet . Esports technology and programs must be built on a superfast, ultra reliable network. Spectrum Enterprise Dedicated Fiber Internet  provides, high-performance connectivity with symmetrical speeds up to 100 Gbps delivered over a private fiber network. Stringent SLAs provide 100% uptime guarantee to ensure the high-speed, low-latency connectivity required for esports competitions.¹
• Managed SD-WAN. Competitive esports technology requires a network that ensure high levels of available bandwidth. Spectrum Enterprise’s Managed SD-WAN solution can help prioritize how different types of traffic such as gaming, video, or conferencing can be best routed to ensure high performance and minimize potential disruptions.
• SpectrumU TV. Colleges and universities need exceptional streaming services to enable fans and supporters to watch competitive esports online. SpectrumU TV lets students stream esports events as well as movies, TV and other types of video entertainment on any device, from anywhere on campus.
• Managed networking services. Managing the requirements of esports technology can add strain for campus IT teams. Spectrum Enterprise offers fully managed services that can unburden IT staff from the time-consuming tasks of implementing, maintaining, and upgrading networking technology.
   

Additional smart campus solutions

In addition to esports technology, Spectrum Enterprise’s fiber network, networking solutions and expertise to help colleges and universities to implement a broad range of smart campus technology. From interactive classrooms to student service portals and smart spaces technology for reducing energy consumption and improving security, smart campus solutions help institutions deliver better student experiences while increasing operational efficiency and automation.

Additional Spectrum Enterprise solutions for the smart campus include:

• Managed WiFi. As a fully managed, turnkey solution, Managed WiFi ensures ubiquitous connectivity throughout campus while relieving IT teams of the burden of installing and maintaining equipment.
• Cloud Connect. This solution ensures reliable, secure connectivity to the cloud for accessing cloud services applications and supporting enterprise hybrid cloud deployments.
• Voice and unified communications. Cloud-based solutions for voice, video calling, instant messaging, and desktop sharing enable unified communications and collaboration.
• Managed SD-WAN. This fully managed, virtualized WAN service enables application-aware routing while reducing network complexity to deliver greater visibility and control while supporting hybrid remote solutions.
  
  

Why choose Spectrum Enterprise?

As a partner in designing esports programs and implementing esports technology, Spectrum Enterprise provides:

• A consultative approach. We understand the unique requirements of esports programs and work with institutions to plan, develop, deploy and support the connectivity solutions and esports technology to meet their goals.
• Reliable uptime. Our private, nationwide fiber network has the speed, efficiency and security to keep esports athletes connected to the competition when it matters most.
• Responsive support. Our solutions are supported by 24/7/365 client care and  includes a 100% uptime guarantee, end-to-end performance nationwide and unrivaled remedies to give you the greatest confidence in your network.²
• Scalable solutions. Spectrum Enterprise solutions can easily scale and evolve to support this evolving field without costly changes to infrastructure.
   

FAQs

What are esports?

Esports are video gaming competitions, where opposing teams compete in multi-player games. Esports competitions are typically held in dedicated esports arenas, and the biggest championships may be watched by 5 million viewers or more.
 

What technology is required to support esports?

Required esports technology includes a dedicated, wired connection with speeds of at least 1 Gbps, with a ping rate of 20ms or less. Esports consoles should have 4.4 GHz processors at a minimum, and monitors that are 24 inches or larger with a minimum refresh rate of 144Hz. Esports require significant bandwidth and should be able to coexist with other educational applications and disciplines that are simultaneously active.
 

What are the benefits of providing esports on campuses?

College or university esports programs can be an effective recruiting tool, as many high school students have a keen interest in competitive gaming. Successful esports teams can earn revenue for the school just as other athletics programs do. And the transferable skills that students develop in esports programs include critical thinking and teambuilding.

^1,2100% uptime SLA guarantee applies only to Dedicated Fiber Internet, Secure Dedicated Fiber Internet, Ethernet Services, Cloud Connect and Enterprise Trunking.