Kaisanet Oy and Kainuu Orienteering Week – A Partnership of Over a Decade Continues Strongly in 2025

Published: 12.05.2025

The long-standing collaboration between Kainuu Orienteering Week (KOW) and Kaisanet Oy has become a vital part of the event's success and development over the years. Kaisanet has served as the event’s trusted technology partner for over a decade, starting in 2011.

Prior to this, cooperation was conducted for several years under the name of the KPO Group, whose roots and operations in the Kainuu region extend back over 120 years.

This partnership has been built on a long-term commitment and a shared goal of advancing regional event production and telecommunications solutions.

At the Heart of the Partnership: Digital Solutions

The collaboration between Kainuu Orienteering Week and Kaisanet has focused especially on the development of digital services and data communication infrastructure – key factors in the event’s growth and modernization.

Since the early 2000s, KOW has featured an online results service, enabled by network connections provided by Kaisanet. In 2010 and 2011, GPS tracking was implemented using Kaisanet's connections. A particularly broad partnership took place in 2013 during the World Orienteering Championships and the concurrent Kainuu Orienteering Week, where Kaisanet played a central role in the event's digital infrastructure.

Also in 2024, during the KOW held in Kajaani, participants and spectators enjoyed following GPS tracking replays, thanks to the digital services provided (Image: Kainuu Orienteering Week)

Fiber Network as the Event’s Backbone

Since 2015, Kaisanet’s fiber-optic network has played a crucial role in supporting the event’s network infrastructure and easing the load on local mobile networks. Nearly every year from 2015 to 2024, a wireless WLAN connection has been established at the competition centre, serving both the public and the event organization.

Building this fiber network has required close cooperation. Typically, Kaisanet provides access to a fiber junction cabinet near the competition centre. Volunteers from KOW and the local organizing club then handle the physical installation of the fiber-optic cable, with typical distances ranging from 500 to 1500 meters. Once the cable is in place, Kaisanet’s professionals connect and activate the WLAN network on-site.

Kaisanet’s fiber cable reel ready for removal after the volunteers have finished dismantling the line from the 2018 competition centre (Photo: Kainuu Orienteering Week)

Looking Ahead to Summer 2025

In summer 2025, the cooperation between Kaisanet and KOW will continue strongly. Kaisanet will again provide WLAN connectivity at the competition centre, available for both the event organization and the public, via their high-speed fiber network. This ensures smooth data flow, enables real-time result services, and enhances both communication and the participant experience throughout the event.

The public WLAN at the competition centre will make it easier to follow GPS tracking, online results, and live streams on mobile devices.

Additionally, Kaisanet will serve as the official finish sponsor at the finish number 4, underlining the company’s commitment to local sports and community support.

Boosting Regional Vitality

Kainuu Orienteering Week is one of Finland’s largest competitive and recreational sports tourism events, attracting thousands of participants from across the country. In 2024, nearly 4,000 orienteers and approximately 1,500 spectators attended the event, which brought around €3.0 million in tourism revenue to the Kainuu region – a significant contribution to the local economy.

Kaisanet, in turn, is committed to enhancing the vitality of its operating region by investing in telecommunications infrastructure. Between 2022 and 2025, the company is implementing approximately €20 million in fiber-optic network investments across Kainuu and Ylä-Savo. These investments enable seamless digital living for residents, businesses, and communities, while also supporting local employment, growth, and development.

Together Toward the Future

The long-term partnership between Kainuu Orienteering Week and Kaisanet demonstrates how local players can come together to create a vibrant, technologically advanced event environment. This collaboration is expected to remain strong in the future – bringing new innovations, experiences, and services to all event visitors.

More information:
www.rastiviikko.fi
www.kaisanet.fi