Verizon seems to be one of the main carriers involved in some of the biggest sports events in the United States. The network operator signed multiple partnerships with NFL, IndyCar and other similar sports organizations in the past. Besides that, Verizon’s network covers some of the most important sports events in the US.
In this regard, the 2025 Indianapolis 500 race represents a big milestone for Verizon when it comes to data usage and connection. The carrier announced that in just one day, inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, a total of 172 terabytes (TB) of data was used on the Verizon network.
Why is this important? Because it’s more than it’s been seen on Verizon’s network at this race and one of the highest data usage events the carrier has ever recorded. To support the claim, Verizon released some data for everyone to see, so here we go:
Explosive 5G Growth: A staggering 74.6% leap in 5G UW volume of 61 TB inside the track over last year’s race (43 TB), revealing how fans are embracing the speed and capacity of 5G.
Surging Overall Traffic: A massive 48.5% increase in total combined 4G and 5G UW data volume inside IMS, proving the network’s capability to handle the intense demand.
High fan engagement: 15 TB of the 61 TB used inside the track was uploaded data, highlighting the high levels of fans sharing in real time.
Surrounding Network Impact: Outside the track, more than 111 TB of data volume was used on the network, showing the event’s broader impact.
Combined Volume Growth: The combined data volume inside and outside the venue was nearly 172 TB – a 35% increase from last year’s race day, demonstrating substantial year-over-year growth.
Team Peske | Image credit: Verizon
According to Verizon, the main reason behind this data explosion was this year’s commercial activation of 5G Standalone at the IMS, which allowed fans to easily upload videos and share their experience in real time.
We had more data running on our network than any previous NFL draft, and nearly twice the data of any Super Bowl in recorded history. The work and skill that goes into setting up a network to keep hundreds of thousands of people connected in one place is an incredible achievement. It’s the dedication from our teams that ensures our customers don’t have to worry about their phones during this event, no matter the scope.
– Andy Brady, President of Verizon Great Lakes, May 2025
The fact that Verizon’s network experienced a massive surge at the 2025 Indy 500, with 5G Ultrawideband (UW) right and center, and still managed to remain stable (or rather we hoped it did) is quite remarkable. For the sake of comparison, 172TB is the equivalent to more than 57 million digital photos (3 MB average).
Grab a free iPhone 13 from Total Wireless!
Switch to Total 5G+ Unlimited 3-Month plan or Total 5G Unlimited and get a free iPhone.
Cosmin, a tech journalist with a career spanning over a decade, brings a wealth of experience to PhoneArena. His expertise lies in brands like Samsung and Nokia, and he has a keen interest in innovative technologies. After a brief stint in PR, Cosmin returned to tech journalism in 2016, committed to delivering clear and objective news. When he's not writing or appearing as a guest on TV and radio shows, Cosmin enjoys playing RPGs, watching Netflix, and nurturing his passion for history and travel.
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
![T-Mobile customers are only now finding that T-Life records their screen [UPDATED]](https://m-cdn.phonearena.com/images/article/170775-wide-two_350/T-Mobile-customers-are-only-now-finding-that-T-Life-records-their-screen-UPDATED.jpg)
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: