Elevating the SailGP fan experience with 5G.
How
4 minute read
Executive summary.
"With each race,
Warren Jones, Chief Technology Officer of SailGPT-Mobile helps us raise the level. Testing new ideas under such challenging conditions fuels our creativity to help us give our fans, athletes, coaches, and operational teams the best possible experience in any conditions."
Racing competitions are fast, exhilarating, and exceedingly difficult to capture on video. The courses run far away from stable filming grounds, as much of the excitement is found onboard and in the data.
So, when SailGP looked to transform its grand prix series of competitions into cutting-edge, spectator-friendly experiences, they turned to the
The planning and execution challenges were tremendous. For Season 4 (2023-2024), the network required transmitting billions of data points—including high-definition video and audio feeds—from 10 competing boats during each race day.
We designed and built custom, high-bandwidth, and low-latency connectivity solutions to leverage our 5G wireless network—the nation's largest and fastest. Our infrastructure generated critical information for teams and coaches in real-time and increased fan engagement through instant video and data to help bring them closer than ever to the action.
“The maritime environment presents some of the most demanding engineering challenges on the planet. With each race,
Batten down the data.
SailGP is a high-data, high-demand event that broadcasts to fans around the globe. It relies on extremely low latency, immersive experiences for viewers, and split-second data for athletes’ decision making.
Our mandate to create a custom-built, powerful, agile, and reliable network architecture was imperative for a successful Season 4. To pull this off, we integrated a combination of private and hybrid network infrastructure.
The private network, designed to maximize uplink video speed and capacity, relied on an Ericsson Massive MIMO antenna, a network technology first. Yet another first was using our mid-spectrum C-Band to stand up the private network, allowing us to offer blazing-fast speeds over a greater range than high-frequency millimeter bands.
“The
Mike Buckley, Co-Owner, Team CEO, & U.S. SailGP Team AthleteT-Mobile network is an incredible asset that furthers critical real-time data sharing and decision making between our Head Coach and Race Engineer on the pit wall and our athletes on the F50 while racing.”
To supercharge the public experience and augment macro network coverage, we brought in our Cell on Wheels (COW) technology to extend the reach of our public network. We also combined multiple 5G frequencies to enable an HD uplink to a remote production studio in London, which streamlined remote broadcast production and global distribution.
Our pioneering approach to network slicing supported multiple data streams, including the transmission of footage from onboard cameras. By establishing a high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity solution, SailGP was able to impact the race outcome by providing real-time data to teams and bringing fans closer to the action with unexpected broadcast angles.
First-rate action.
A key goal for the race league was to bring people closer to the action than ever before by delivering a unique, immersive experience.
To do this, SailGP mounted small, waterproof 5G-powered cameras under each of the competing F50 foiling catamarans. These Foil Cams unlocked new high-definition angles, showcasing the breathtaking speed, and generated incredible, action-packed views of the race.
Fans at the event—and watching around the world—engaged with the race through the SailGP app, which offered interactive experiences grounded in real-time data, onboard footage, and live commentary, making the races more engaging and accessible.
To keep fans on the shoreline up to date on their team’s position in the race, SailGP introduced a 3D augmented reality (AR) feature. This innovation turned smartphones into digital binoculars, creating a 360-degree view of the course, live statistics, and boat tracking all powered by GPS on our 5G network.
We know the ropes.
As the official partner of the United States SailGP team, we facilitated vital communications and data transmission to bring fans closer to the action than ever before.
The power, performance, and reliability of our 5G ANS was key to enhancing every SailGP event.
Fans experienced the races in new and exciting ways, including through live broadcasts. Athletes and crews performed at their peak thanks to our mission-critical information, provided in real-time for fast decision making in the heat of the race.
Key takeaways.
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Reimagining the experience.
Immersive race views were brought to fans with a 3D AR feature and high-quality, real-time video transmission without delays.
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Engineering for any terrain.
We deployed an innovative network slice solution by bonding a macro 5G network slice with a portable private network slice in the challenging maritime environment.
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Augmenting the network.
To support the seamless transmission of onboard cameras and other data streams, we pulled in mid-spectrum C-Band, offering fast speeds over a greater capacity—in the spectrum’s first private network deployment.
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Data-intensive demands.
We created a custom-designed, high-bandwidth, low-latency connectivity solution with our 5G network and 5G ANS to transmit billions of data points from video and audio feeds.
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