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Fibre and Fixed Wireless Access are the two fastest-growing fixed broadband technologies in the OECD

The latest OECD statistics show that Fibre and Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) have seen the strongest growth in fixed broadband technologies in three years. Fibre subscriptions have increased by 56% between June 2020 to June 2023, and FWA subscriptions have increased by 64%. The United States (252%), Estonia (153%), Norway (139%) and Spain (118%) led this FWA growth. The dynamism of fibre and FWA stands in stark contrasts to the decline in DSL (- 24%).

Fibre, which is the dominant technology since 2021, amounts to 41% of total fixed broadband subscriptions in June 2023 (see graph below). FWA still represents a more modest share of 3.7% of total fixed broadband subscriptions (in countries where data is available). DSL now represents a share of 22% of total broadband, while cable accounts for 30.5% of overall connections. Satellite, which grew 11% over the last three years, represents 0.7% of fixed broadband subscribers.

Broadband access technologies as share of total fixed broadband subscriptions in OECD countries, June 2023

Nine OECD countries have more than 70% of fibre connections over total broadband, with Korea, Japan, Iceland, Spain leading the way with the highest fibre penetration rates of 89%, 86%, 85%, and 84%, respectively. The highest fibre growth rates are in Europe, with Austria and Belgium having growth rates of 75% and 73% over the last year, closely followed by Mexico with a growth in fibre of 68%. Two other Latin American countries are in the top 7: Costa Rica and Colombia with fibre growth rates of 42% and 34%, respectively.

Mobile data usage per subscription grew substantially by 28% in one year passing from 10.2 GB to 13 GB per subscription per month in OECD countries as of June 2023. The amount of data consumed in countries vary greatly from 6 GB to 46 GB, with Latvia being the OECD leader.

Despite an already very high mobile broadband penetration in the OECD area, overall mobile subscriptions continue to grow by 4.6% over the last year, which totalled 1.8 billion as of June 2023, up from 1.74 billion a year earlier. Mobile broadband penetration is highest in Japan, Estonia, the United States and Finland, with subscriptions per 100 inhabitants at 200%, 192%, 183% and 161%, respectively.

Eighteen countries were able to provide the number of their 5G subscriptions separately from mobile broadband subscriptions. The share of 5G in total mobile broadband subscriptions is 23% on average for the OECD countries that provided this data.

Machine-to-machine (M2M) SIM cards grew 14% increase in one year. The two leading countries are Sweden with 238 M2M SIM cards per 100 inhabitants and Iceland (203), followed by Austria (179), the Netherlands (93) and Norway (76). Both Sweden and Iceland issue M2M SIM cards for international use.

Download broadband data, charts and penetration maps by country at: http://oe.cd/broadband.

The European Recycling Platform Aims to Banish Unused Cables Snaking Around Irish Homes with St. Patrick’s Festival Partnership

As new research shows that 1 in 3 are hoarding up to 10 unused cables, ERP is encouraging people to go green and recycle this St. Patrick’s Weekend

The European Recycling Platform (ERP), Ireland’s only pan-European compliance scheme for Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) and Waste Batteries today announced research results by Coyne Research which revealed that 1 in 3 adults have between 5 to 10 unused electrical cables in their homes. Charging cables are the most common type of unused cables (77%), followed by USB (66%) and HDMI Cables (49%). Almost half of those surveyed keep these unused cables in a drawer in the home.

The research, commissioned by ERP, revealed that over half of all adults surveyed were aware of legislation announced by the European Council, Commission, and Parliament which requires all new smartphones, tablets, cameras, and other electronic gadgets marketed in the EU to have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. As this change comes into effect, households will likely have plenty of waste cables snaking around their homes to be recycled.

This St. Patrick’s Day, ERP is encouraging people to go green and banish unused cables from their homes – not by putting them in their domestic waste bins, but by recycling them at their nearest electrical retailer or recycling centre.

ERP Ireland was recently announced as a Sustainability Partner for this year’s St. Patrick’s Festival. As part of their partnership, ERP worked with artist Ned Leddy to create a WEEE inspired installation entitled ‘Trash Mammoth’ to raise awareness among festival goers about the importance of recycling electrical waste. Made from over 100 small electrical items and standing at 13 feet tall, the installation will be on display at St. Patrick’s Festival Quarter at the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks on 16^th – 17^th March.

Festival Quarter kicks off the Bank Holiday weekend at 12pm on Saturday 16^th with a jam-packed family friendly programme of events including craic, ceol, dancing, games, conversation, workshops, food, and all kinds of entertainment for absolutely everybody, before Mother’s Cultúr Club takes over the site on the evening of March 16^th for a massive St. Patrick’s Eve party. On March 17^th, Festival Quarter will be a huge celebration of Irish culture throughout the day and night and is again completely FREE.

James Burgess, Country General Manager of ERP Ireland said: “We are excited to announce our sustainability partnership with St. Patrick’s Festival and align our purpose with the festival’s commitment to an eco-friendly St. Patrick’s celebration. This St. Patrick’s Weekend, ERP is encouraging everyone to join us in banishing unused cables from their homes and recycling them at their nearest free electrical recycling drop-off point. We believe that through such initiatives and partnerships we can collectively make a positive impact on our environment.”

Richard Tierney, CEO of St. Patrick’s Festival said: “We are delighted to partner with the European Recycling Platform in our shared mission to promote sustainability. Sustainability is one of our core organisational values, and it’s an area where we feel we can really lead from the front on. Partnering with organisations like the European Recycling Platform means we can inspire communities to embrace responsible recycling practices and pave the way for a greener future”.

Visit the MyWaste.ie website to locate your nearest free recycling drop-off point on their interactive map at www.mywaste.ie/waste-service-locator/.

The Ledge 4D Experience opens at the Cliffs of Moher

A €320,000 upgrade to the virtual reality cliffside experience at the Cliffs of Moher in County Clare has been completed.

Located within the Cliffs of Moher Experience visitor centre, the Ledge 4D Experience takes visitors on an interactive 3-minute tour of the cliffs and combines stunning visuals of the world-famous cliffs on a calm summer’s day, both above the sea and underwater, with the environmental effects of west of Ireland wind and spray of Moher mist.

State-of-the-art projectors, an upgraded sound system and a tiered standing area to allow for improved viewing conditions also have been installed to add to the overall authenticity of the experience mirroring a real-life bird’s-eye view of the Cliffs of Moher over and underwater.

Officially opening the Ledge 4D Experience, Cllr. Joe Cooney, Cathaoirleach of Clare County Council said, “I warmly welcome the ongoing investment in the overall visitor experience at the Cliffs of Moher, which remains a primary driver for the local tourism economy. The Ledge 4D Experience brings to life the natural and scenic beautify of the Cliffs of Moher and it will be particularly beneficial to anyone who visits the site on a day when visibility may be poor at the cliff edge.”

Commenting on the background to the upgrade, Bobby Kerr, Chair of the Board of Cliffs of Moher Centre DAC said, “When commissioned in 2006, the Ledge visuals were state-of-the-art, but by 2023 were starting to show their age somewhat. As well as this, the projection and sound equipment, although upgraded and maintained over the years, were no longer the most efficient or effective in their class.”

“After many months of planning and preparation, work commenced last November to upgrade the experience,” added Mr. Kerr. This film itself, although remaining the same, has been updated to modern standards and the accuracy of the content has been improved to show more detail of the Cliff face, the birds, the sea life, and other elements such as the wave motion and grass movement.”

Set to a rousing soundtrack composed by famous local musician Davy Spillane, the Ledge 4D Experience follows a gannet over the cliff edge of the cliffs, down into the water to explore the wide range of life under the waves, and back up past the impressive Sea Stack and O’Brien’s Tower.

The project was delivered on behalf of Cliffs of Moher Experience by Rockbrook Engineering, DMW Creative, Marcon Construction and Alphachannel.

Visit www.cliffsofmoher.ie for more.

HP Unveils Industry’s Largest Portfolio of AI PCs

HP Inc. has announced the industry’s largest portfolio of AI PCs leveraging the power of AI to enhance productivity, creativity, and user experiences in hybrid work settings.

In an ever-changing hybrid work landscape, workers are still struggling with disconnection and digital fatigue. HP’s 2023 Work Relationship Index reveals that only 27% of knowledge workers have a healthy relationship with work, and 83% believe it’s time to redefine our relationships with work. Most employees believe AI will open new opportunities to enjoy work and make their jobs easier, but they need the right AI tools and technology to succeed.

“At HP, our mission is to empower companies to capitalise on the power of AI, sparking ambitious and meaningful progress in every organisation,” said Val Gabriel, Managing Director, HP Ireland. “We are proud to represent the industry’s broadest portfolio of AI PCs. By harnessing AI as a personal tool, we are creating more personalised and meaningful work experiences, revolutionising the way we interact with technology and each other in the workplace.”

Focus on the work that matters with AI PCs

For today’s leaders, knowledge workers, and creators, HP introduced the newest generation of AI HP Elite PCs, featuring Copilot in Windows and Windows 11 Pro, and Z by HP mobile workstations, delivering high-performance computing solutions designed to power the most demanding workflows.

HP introduces the industry’s largest portfolio of AI PCs1

The latest HP Elite and Pro PC solutions are equipped with AI capabilities powered by multiple Intel® Core™ or next-generation processors with dedicated NPUs for tackling AI tasks. The new PCs are designed to automatically anticipate and adjust to usage behavior, ensuring the best balance of performance and power. They offer improved, natural on-camera interaction and collaboration for a seamless user experience.

HP now has the largest portfolio of Intel® and AMD-based AI PCs, demonstrating a commitment to innovation and performance. The lineup launched today includes:

HP Elite 1000 Series G11 Notebook PCs: As the world’s most powerful AI business PCs the series is designed to deliver a seamless blend of portability, performance, and up to 21 hours of battery life for leaders and workers on the go. Harnessing the power of AI, users experience up to 80% better graphics performance, up to 38% less power for AI-enhanced collaboration, and up to 132% faster AI video editing compared to the previous generation.

HP EliteBook 800 and 805 Series G11 Notebook PCs: Created to meet the needs of enterprise knowledge workers taking on daily workloads that demand powerful performance and collaboration features.
HP EliteBook 600 and 605 Series G11 Notebook PCs: Crafted for corporate and public sector organisations that need to maximise value and flexibility to equip a range of users in hybrid environments.
HP ProBook 400 and 405 Series G11 Notebook PCs: Purpose-built for hybrid workers splitting time between the office and home, these devices unlock AI-powered workflows and essential performance while offering upgradeable storage and memory.
HP Elite Small Form Factor 805 G9 Desktop PC: Engineered for desktop workers looking to take productivity to the next level, workers experience boosted connectivity to take advantage of cloud-based AI applications.

Z by HP delivers high-performance solutions designed to power the most demanding workflows. The newest generation of AI HP ZBook mobile workstations tackle the challenges of mobile work yet maintain the necessary collaboration tools for executing large, complex projects from anywhere. Z by HP’s comprehensive hardware and AI software solutions ensure reliability, security, and mobility for creative professionals.

HP ZBook Power G11: A high-performance computing solution with the ability to power the most demanding workflows, boosting productivity in a new premium design with pro-grade components for running AI development and conceptual design applications. The HP ZBook Power G11 is designed to handle 3D modeling, AI-powered content creation, and heavy multitasking with ease.
HP ZBook Fury G11: Designed to deliver the power of desktop performance from anywhere, the ZBook Fury enables powerful AI acceleration for editing 8K videos, advanced 3D rendering, VFX, or tuning and running local AI models. Advanced thermal technology ensures optimal efficiency during demanding tasks.
HP ZBook Studio G11: Enhance focus and productivity in a sleek, portable form factor; the ZBook Studio allows users to build complex assemblies, bring AI capabilities to content creation tools, render in real-time, and visualise data on the go.
HP ZBook Firefly G11: The perfect fusion of pro-level performance and true mobility. The ZBook Firefly enables seamless project management from anywhere and is equipped with AI-accelerated performance and offers dynamic power efficiency and exceptional battery life.

Work protected with HP security solutions

Building on reputation as the world’s most secure and manageable PCs, today, HP introduced the world’s first business PCs to protect firmware against quantum computer hacks featuring HP’s upgraded Endpoint Security Controller (ESC) chip. This helps ensure the manageability and protection of sensitive data.

The HP Elite and ProBook notebooks and Z by HP workstations are equipped with HP Wolf Security for Business to protect end users no matter where and how they work. HP also launched HP Cloud Endpoint Manager SaaS, which is purpose-built for mission-critical devices to help IT secure endpoints from threats with automated device monitoring and remediation.

Accelerate data science capabilities with the HP AI Creation Center, including by HP AI Studio

HP is accelerating the AI era with customised data science solutions. HP’s AI Creation Center combines the world’s most advanced workstation for AI with robust solutions like the Z by HP AI Studio to deliver the world’s most comprehensive workstation solution for AI development.Z by HP workstations and solutions designed in close collaboration with NVIDIA® will help scale compute and AI resources from an on-premise infrastructure to the cloud, simplifying building and customisation of private AI models through a platform that connects data teams, tools, and compute.

For data scientists and AI creators, the ability to seamlessly scale projects from an AI workstation to the cloud is critical. By building AI models in a hybrid environment from one, centralised location from the start, they can more easily shift from product development to production for the most substantial data science and AI tasks.

Swappie appoints new country manager – Luísa Vasconcelos e Sousa

Swappie, Europe’s foremost brand in refurbished smartphones, is delighted to introduce Luísa Vasconcelos e Sousa as the Country Manager for Ireland. Armed with a degree in Business Management and a specialization in Digital Transformation, Luísa brings a wealth of experience from her years at Facebook’s European headquarters (Meta) in Dublin, coupled with a diverse background in banking and marketing.

With a mission to promote conscious choices and habits, Luísa joins Swappie with a dedication to reducing the environmental impact of technology and strengthening the circular economy through the promotion of refurbished devices. Her strategic role aligns seamlessly with Swappie’s ongoing commitment to making refurbished tech mainstream, exemplified by the company’s current #Women4SustainableTech initiative.

Launched in celebration of International Women’s Day, #Women4SustainableTech underscores Swappie’s dedication to gender diversity and empowerment within the tech industry. Luísa’s role as the Country Manager for Ireland plays a pivotal part in this initiative, adding momentum to Swappie’s commitment to fostering an inclusive

Luísa Vasconcelos e Sousa, commented: “Working at Swappie is an incredible opportunity to be part of a movement towards more sustainable technology. I look forward to leveraging my experience to drive Swappie’s mission in Ireland, encouraging conscious choices that positively impact our environment.”

As Swappie continues to celebrate women making strides in sustainable tech through the #Women4SustainableTech campaign, Luísa’s dynamic background and commitment to sustainability position her as a key player in furthering the company’s goals. With Luísa at the helm, Swappie looks forward to making a lasting impact in Ireland, fostering a more connected and sustainable society.

Electronics contribute to the largest and fastest-growing waste stream worldwide, and less than 15% of phones are recycled. Swappie aims to make it easier for people to purchase environmentally friendly, responsible smartphones by closing the loop on refurbished electronics and making circular smartphones accessible to the masses. Swappie controls its entire value chain, including carrying out all refurbishments at its factories in Helsinki, Tallinn and Leipzig, to ensure that the phones consumers receive are refurbished to the highest possible standards using the latest technology.

James Dyson Award 2024 now open for entries

The James Dyson Award, the international student design and engineering competition run by the James Dyson Foundation, today opens for entries, calling for novel inventions that tackle a pressing real-world problem.

Young inventors’ ideas have the potential for global impact

Open to all engineering and design students and recent graduates, the Award seeks ambitious designs that address a global issue, from cancer diagnosis to natural disasters. With global recognition offered to an International Winner and a Sustainability Winner, past winners include an off-road ambulance trailer to rescue the wounded from conflict zones, a paint made from recycled glass that vastly reduces the need for air conditioning, and a device to control bleeding from stab wounds.

Established in 2005, the competition has now supported over 400 young inventors with more than €1million in prize money, and more than two thirds of past global winners have pursued the commercialisation of their ideas. The International Winner and global Sustainability Winner will scoop €35,000 to support their next steps, while €5,800 is offered to each National Winner in the 30 markets where the Award is run.

Sir James Dyson, Founder and Chief Engineer, said: “The world needs more doers – problem-solvers, not grandstanders, who are ready to take on the problems of our time. Every year the James Dyson Award gives young people a platform for their medical and environmental inventions, and much more besides. It’s their ‘wrong thinking’ that leads to breakthroughs, whether it’s the development of a new sustainable material, or the application of clever engineering principles to help improve people’s lives. I look forward to seeing what new inventions this year’s Award brings!”

Past winners go on to achieve substantial success

Previous recipients of the Award have gone onto great success thanks to the global media exposure and injection of funds that the prize offers. Past International Winner Yusuf Muhammad entered his invention Automist in 2009, which is a device that tackles domestic fires with an ingenious water misting mechanism that uses 10 times less water than a traditional system. Today, Yusuf runs a successful company that has installed over 13,000 systems and is currently securing international certification ahead of a prospective US launch.

He said, “Winning the James Dyson Award gave me great confidence and a springboard to success. It allowed me to start a company, which turned my design concept into a product that protects homes all over the world and has saved lives. As an internationally recognised award, it’s a fantastic vehicle to bring your ideas to life.”

Last year, in Ireland, Joel Olympio was awarded the national winner prize for his invention Oasis aimed at addressing the issue of visual distractions in open environments, particularly targeting individuals diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Today, Joel has launched his startup, Chapter, to fully advance the development of Oasis and prepare it for commercialisation.

He said: “The Irish James Dyson National Award win last year opened doors to countless opportunities for me and provided significant exposure for my invention, Oasis, within both the design world and the ADHD community. Oasis stemmed from in-depth research into adults with ADHD and my own personal experiences. Today, I have decided to push forward with the development of this product, aiming to bring it to market through my startup, Chapter. My aim remains steadfast in creating inclusive technology that improve focus for all. This award has given me the drive to pursue this vision, and I’m thrilled with the progress made so far.”

Other past winners around the world have included:

The Golden Capsule (South Korea) – a hands-free intravenous (IV) device designed for disaster zones, which can be strapped to the patient and does not rely on gravity.
HOPES (Singapore) – a wearable device for pain-free, low-cost glaucoma testing that patients can do at home.
PlasticScanner (Netherlands)– an open-source scanning device to help fight plastic waste by detecting what type of plastic an item is.
BlueBox (Spain) – an at-home cancer screening solution designed to encourage more women to test for breast cancer.
mOm incubators (UK) – a low-cost collapsible, portable infant incubator, which has been successfully used to save babies’ lives in Ukraine.

National winners and runners-up will be whittled down to a global Top 20 by a panel of expert Dyson engineers across different disciplines, and finally Sir James Dyson himself will pick the best.

The National Winners will be announced on September 11^th, the global Top 20 shortlist on October 16^th and Global Winners on November 13^th.

Irish Transport Intelligence Provider CitySwift Accelerates Expansion with First UK Office Opening

CitySwift, the leading company in data intelligence for the public transport sector, has today announced the opening of its first UK office, located in central London. The expansion, heralding the creation of 50 new jobs, was marked by a celebratory event at the new office today, with Minister of Finance Michael McGrath in attendance as part of a broader Enterprise Ireland delegation. Enterprise Ireland is supporting CitySwift’s scaling journey in the UK.

The office, overlooking Paddington Station in London marks a new chapter in CitySwift’s journey, as the Galway-founded company looks to create 50 jobs in its offices both in the UK and Ireland over the next two years. These jobs will include roles in Data, Product, Engineering, Customer Success and Account Management.

Brian O’Rourke, co-founder and CEO at CitySwift, said: “This is the latest milestone in our journey at CitySwift, with our new office and partnership with Transport North East, we aim to reaffirm our continued dedication to delivering real value to our customers. We’ve seen incredible growth in the last year, having closed our latest funding round a few weeks ago and we are eager to drive on and focus on expanding CitySwift’s offering across the UK, and to continue growing our exceptional team.”

Founded by Alan Farrelly and Brian O’Rourke in 2016, CitySwift works with public sector transport authorities and private bus operators to break down the barriers to accessing and interpreting transport data. CitySwift’s platform aggregates, cleans and enriches data from hundreds of sources, providing both operators and authorities with an accurate single source of truth. Rapid access to accurate data across the entire network fuels this collaboration, enabling both parties to take a more dynamic, data-driven approach to move passengers away from private modes of transport to more sustainable, climate-friendly public transportation.

Speaking at today’s event, Minister of Finance, Michael McGrath, said following the ribbon cutting: “I am delighted to join the CitySwift team today to celebrate the opening of their new office space in London. Today’s expansion announcement is testament to the huge opportunities that await Irish exporters in the UK market and paves the way for CitySwift, a leader in data and machine learning for the public transport sector, to significantly scale its business internationally. The Government, through Enterprise Ireland, looks forward to continued engagement with CitySwift to support the growth of the business into the future.”

Deirdre McPartlin, Regional Director for UK & Nordics in Enterprise Ireland, added: “CitySwift is a great example of a company whose success can be directly attributed to a dedication to solve customer problems and deliver tangible benefits straight away. By demonstrating their ongoing commitment to their customers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland over a number of years, the leadership team have built enormous credibility across the whole market. The opening of this office in London is a critical next step in their ongoing growth in the UK. In Enterprise Ireland we are delighted to have been part of CitySwift’s success through our start-up, innovation and in-market support.”

In addition to the opening of this new office, CitySwift today has also announced its latest partnership with Transport North East (TNE), covering bus journeys across the North East region, including Northumberland, Tyne & Wear and County Durham. This partnership will support delivery of the objectives laid out in the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan, with CitySwift’s platform being leveraged to improve bus punctuality and increase passenger satisfaction. Additionally, CitySwift will work with TNE to monitor bus priority investment impact, examining congestion, passenger delays, and network pinch points.

Heather Jones, Head of Enhanced Partnerships at TNE, said on the announcement: “CitySwift’s platform offers Transport North East an exciting opportunity to use data to revolutionise bus services and enhance the overall passenger experience. Partnering with CitySwift aligns with the objectives of the North East Bus Service Improvement Plan, enabling us to address congestion, reduce passenger delays, and identify network pinch points more effectively. This collaboration will play a crucial role in delivering more efficient, sustainable, and customer-focused public transport to the communities we serve.”

This recent partnership marks a 150% increase in CitySwift’s customer base last year, which now includes transport networks in all major UK cities, including London, Manchester, Birmingham, Belfast, and the entire country of Wales. Notable clients in addition to Transport North East include National Express, Go-Ahead Group, Transport for Wales, Metroline, East Riding of Yorkshire Council, Translink, and Blackpool Transport.

This announcement comes during a busy period for the company, which has recently announced the close of its latest funding round of €7 million led by Gresham House Ventures. In addition to further expansion plans, these funds will fuel CitySwift’s platform development and client services, solidifying its position as a transportation data leader globally.

EMEA Masters Returns for 2024

EMEA Masters returns in 2024 with exciting competitive updates, so mark your calendars!

The changes we’re making to the overall format of EMEA Masters aren’t just to shake the competitive scene up, they’re designed to usher in more competitiveness and bring more excitement to fans and players alike!

In 2023, we introduced two new EMEA Regional Leagues (ERLs) to the ecosystem, to better represent the EMEA region. We’ve seen some amazing players use our ERL and EMEA Masters infrastructure to move up to the LEC, with a few even making it to the recent 2024 LEC Winter Split Finals! This year, we’re looking to ensure that every team and player fighting for the spotlight has an opportunity to shine. We also brought the EMEA Masters Summer Finals to the main stage during our 2023 LEC Season Finals roadshow, and we’re happy to reveal that this year, our two EMEA Masters finalists will compete at the 2024 LEC Season Finals in Munich!

Spring Split

Looking towards the Spring Split for 2024, it will be held in a very similar competitive format. Unfortunately, we only have a two-week window in the competitive calendar for the EMEA Masters Spring Split due to overall calendar restrictions, which isn’t suitable to properly accommodate the tournament as we did in 2023. To remedy this, the number of parallel matches will be increased, but the overall amount of matches has remained the same.

For 2024, we’ll continue with the three-stage approach, which sees 28 teams competing over two weeks – starting on April 15 and concluding on April 28. As a friendly reminder, here’s the format for the Spring Split:

Play-in: 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams in each group progress to Knock-outs.
Play-in (Knock-outs): 8 teams will compete in a best-of-three series. The top four teams progress to the Group Stage.
Group Stage: 16 teams, split into four groups of four. Best-of-one, double round-robin format. The top two teams from each group progress to the Playoffs.
Playoffs: 8 teams will compete in a best-of-five, single elimination bracket.

Summer Split

We have, however, made changes to the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split. Firstly, it will now be held in three stages: Last Chance Qualifiers (LCQ), Group Stage and Playoffs. You’ll also see a total of 38 different teams compete throughout the tournament – so you better strap in for the ride!

Last Chance Qualifiers

The LCQ will be the stage for 24 teams to compete for a ticket to the Group Stage – with one to three teams competing per region. We’ll be sharing more information on the format of our opening stage for the 2024 EMEA Masters Summer Split in the coming months so stay tuned!

Group Stage

The Group Stage will consist of 16 teams, with 13 of the teams having automatically qualified – being the winners of each respective ERL Summer Final. The remaining three teams will qualify through our LCQ. Four groups of four teams will fight for victory in a best-of-three, GSL format. The teams will be assigned to their respective groups through a draw show. For a quick-fire explanation of GSL, if you win twice, you move on to the next stage – so the pressure is on! Teams will have a total of three chances to rise from their group. The top two teams from each of the four groups will then advance to the Playoffs.

Playoffs

Playoffs will see the best eight teams of the tournament fighting tooth and nail for the crown. The format will be a double-elimination bracket, with the first seeds from the Group Stage being placed in the upper bracket, and the second seeds progressing to the lower bracket. All matches will be best-of-threes apart from our Lower Bracket Finals and Grand Finals, which are both best-of-five – allowing teams to grapple with each other for the trophy!

Just like the 2023 EMEA Masters, this year’s Summer Finals will be taking place on the big stage, during the 2024 LEC Roadshow. The two finalists will compete in front of the crowd for the championship title. We’ll be announcing more information on the finals weekend later this year so make sure to stay tuned!

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