It feels like forever ago, but the 2018 Winter Olympics in South Korea served as an early testbed for pre-standardized 5G, providing some of the lessons that will shape the eventual network technology. did.
But in five years, how will 5G change major sporting events?
F1’s use of cutting-edge technology has been a regular feature of major mobile events for many years and this continues to be the case, but in this network generation, robust use cases for private networks are emerging for a wide range of purposes. . Sports.
experts spoke mobile world live (M.W.L.) pointed to deployment flexibility, uncontested capacity and quality as key advantages of private 5G over alternatives such as fiber and public peers of mobile technology.
David de Lancelotti, Nokia Enterprise Head of PWLS Campus, CNS Cloud and Network Services, highlighted edge computing as a key benefit of private 5G, which is well known for using the technology in dedicated networks. We highlighted edge computing alongside its benefits.
“Private wireless provides the security and reliability that stadiums and sports teams need for current and future operations,” he added.
“The key applications for companies in the arena industry are safe, secure and reliable real-time communications and applications as these venues and sports teams digitally transform their operations,” said De Lancellotti. Ta.
At the 5G club
Data is completely transforming the world of sports, with advanced analytics providing a more detailed view of player performance, improving spectator awareness of what is going on and opening up new bookmaker opportunities. It was done.
The reach and speed of 5G communications will further improve the collection and distribution of data, as Simon Wilson, HPE’s CTO of Aruba UK and Ireland, explained while discussing its work with the Ryder Cup golf competition. He explained that there is a possibility of moving forward.
The latest edition of the competition was held in Rome between September and October, where the company used private 5G as part of a broader connectivity rollout. Part of the reason for this architecture was the limitations and logistics of installing other infrastructure.
“There’s archeology everywhere in Rome, and you can’t put a spade in the ground without picking up Roman artifacts and coins,” Wilson said. “That meant there were areas on the course where cables were not allowed to be installed.”
In addition to the more general applications supported during the event, the vendor ran a proof of concept using private 5G to rapidly share information about where a ball landed and how far it traveled.
“They are [event organisers] “We’ll have people walk around the course with tablets marking where Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm’s balls landed,” he explained. “To do that, we need to cover the entire course completely.”
“We need reporting, that is. [data] It needs to be accurate and real-time. A lot of things depend on it, including TV commentators, spectators watching at home and on apps, and the spread of betting on how far someone hits the ball. ”
“It is very important to make sure this is accurate and timely, and to share it with everyone at the same time,” he added.
touchdown touch point
However, private networks are not pure data plays. Uncontested network availability for voice is already in use within and outside the US National Football League (NFL).
While watching one of the NFL London games, Leighton Griffiths, Head of Stadiums, Venues, Media and Entertainment for Verizon Business, EMEA and APAC, said: M.W.L. The company is using private 5G parachuted specifically for this event to support communication between the team’s coaches.
“What we have in place for international games is similar to what we use in the United States to allow coaches to communicate with the offense and defense.” [teams] in a safe environment. ”
The headset connects to your private network via a SIM.
“This is a completely uncontested network designed for low-latency, high-quality, resilient voice communications,” Griffiths said, adding that “venues are very noisy and complex environments. services and operations, having a dedicated, contention-free communications network can be a real game-changer.”
He noted that beyond communicating with coaches, Verizon Business is “really moving into the use of private networks for media broadcasts,” adding: “If you look at all the cables and physical assets around the pitch. There is no reason why it cannot be introduced.” Leverage a private network to provide the same level of certainty and quality of service. Media broadcasts will be the next trigger for recruitment. ”
Media broadcasting will be the trigger for the next recruitment.
Leighton Griffiths – Head of Stadiums, Venues, Media and Entertainment for EMEA and APAC
verizon business
pet project
Several stadiums in the United States are at the forefront of implementing the latest technology to enhance the all-round experience covering all major sports in the country.
Event coverage specialist Boingo Wireless has been deploying private 5G for a variety of use cases in its home market of the United States.
This included the Petco Park baseball stadium, which used the technology to operate logistics elements such as cashless transactions, concessions, mobile ticketing, and operational IoT devices.
Boingo Wireless CCO Michael Zeto said: M.W.L. “The venue experience has become a connected venue experience. Seamless, fast, and secure connectivity gives fans what they expect and operations teams what they need. 5G networks deliver ticketless entry, It enables cashless rewards, robotics, real-time data, and virtual reality.”
“These innovations have the potential to improve revenue and increase revenue.”
Aiming for gold
Much like the early days of 5G, the Summer Olympics scheduled to take place in Paris in 2024 are set to provide an inspiring example of what the latest network technology can do, and Orange is We are planning to deploy a private network to some of our venues.
speak at MWL’s At last month’s Unwrap event, Bertrand Roja, CTIO of the Orange Event and the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, said he wanted to provide broadcast coverage so that spectators could “be next to the athletes and understand what they’re doing.” He emphasized the use of technology to support.
“Next year, we will be deploying private 5G in many locations, including the stadium for the opening ceremony and major arenas,” he said.
“What people want is to be as close as possible to what’s happening in the stadium. For that, we need more cameras closer to the athletes, and private 5G allows us to do that. Very small. cameras and still get very high quality for broadcast.”
These examples only scratch the surface of the potential opportunities for private 5G, and each sport has its own use cases, whether it’s targeting spectators or improving the games themselves. .
Just as the Winter Olympics showed an early glimpse of 5G’s potential, the 2024 Summer Olympics could show exactly how far the industry has come, and as we’re starting to discover in other sports. This technology enables reliable, near real-time communication. It has the potential to change everything that happens.
