The 2025 edition of the Rotterdam Marathon, one of the Netherlands' largest and most prestigious sporting events, was successfully supported by a mission-critical communication infrastructure delivered by Entropia and its partner R&S Communications.

With over 1,700 radio users, more than 160 dedicated communication channels, and multiple live control rooms running on the ComBus platform, the entire event operated on a secure, interference-free communication network. This robust infrastructure was fully independent of public networks such as 4G, 5G, or Wi-Fi, and purpose-built to perform under any conditions.

The system was meticulously aligned in advance with the Municipality of Rotterdam, ensuring full scalability, capacity, and uptime throughout the event. This comprehensive technical setup allowed city authorities to focus entirely on their core responsibilities—public safety, mobility, emergency coordination, and visitor experience—without being burdened by communication logistics.

What makes Entropia’s approach unique is its complete in-house control over both its private radio network and its mission-critical ComBus platform, a state-of-the-art communications system developed internally. With over 300,000 lines of proprietary code, ComBus reflects more than 25 years of experience in high-reliability environments, enabling unmatched flexibility, responsiveness, and integration.

Throughout the marathon, ComBus operated flawlessly. Real-time control room operations enabled seamless coordination of hundreds of users across multiple teams. Key capabilities included over-the-air device programming, live GPS tracking, status messaging, and structured data communication, all of which functioned perfectly—even during peak hours and unforeseen incidents such as medical emergencies or traffic diversions.

Radio users were distributed across six key operational domains:

• Law Enforcement & Police

• Event Management & Field Coordination

• Medical Services

• Security & Crowd Control

• Traffic Guidance

• Food & Beverage Operations

Each domain was assigned dedicated frequencies and customized control room connections, managed centrally via ComBus. The system’s scalability allowed all teams to operate concurrently, without interference or channel overlap.

R&S Communications handled the on-site deployment, delivering all radios, accessories, and technical support. Devices were pre-configured, fully integrated into the Entropia network, and delivered on time—ensuring a seamless start to operations. The strong collaboration between Entropia, R&S, and the event teams resulted in an incident-free communication experience from start to finish.

“We are proud to once again contribute to public safety in the Netherlands,” said a spokesperson from Entropia. “Our team, alongside R&S Communications, delivered a flawless operation for the Rotterdam Marathon, powered by technology and expertise developed right here at home. And we’ll continue pushing boundaries—every day, even better.”

Read the full article here