The 3.1 terabytes of traffic — the equivalent of more than 1000 hours of high definition video streaming — was well up on the 2.23 terabytes of traffic on Telstra’s mobile network generated during last year’s grand final.

According to Telstra, its advanced high-capacity mobile network at the MCG makes it the most connected stadium in the southern hemisphere, enabling  the 100,021 spectators inside the stadium to use their mobile devices to stream video, browse the Internet, upload photos to social media and receive and make telephone calls.

Telstra also says that, apart from the high level of mobile traffic at the MCG, there was an increase in the number of text messages sent across its entire mobile network on Saturday afternoon between 2pm AEST and 6pm AEST – with around 10% more text messages and 20% more MMS sent across the network compared to the same time the week before.

Telstra reports that fans at Sydney’s ANZ Stadium on Sunday night, who watched the NRL Grand Final and saw Melbourne Storm claim the title, generated 1.6 terabytes of traffic on the Telstra mobile network compared to 1.3 terabytes of traffic generated at last year’s NRL grand final.