Swisscom says it has successfully tested a private 5G network at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland.
The demonstration, which ran from January 17 to 22 at the Villars site in Lausanne, saw wired audio-visual installations replaced with a private 5G wireless network, connecting all the production equipment at the venue.
Such wireless networks at major events could massively reduce the amount of installation equipment transported and the manpower required, Swisscom says.
The trial took place as part of the Innosuisse 5G-PROLIVE project. Other partners were OFCOM, EPFL, SRG SSR, the School of Management and Engineering in Yverdon and NuLink.
Sustainability
Jacques Bähler, a project lead at Swisscom, said the trial shows that a “wireless event” could be possible soon through the installation of a private 5G antenna via SIM cards dedicated to the private network.
“This prospect offers considerable advantages in terms of speed of implementation, and for sustainability in particular,” he said.
Laurent Zwahlen, director of NuLink, said, “At large sporting events, there can easily be around 40 lorries of equipment, including lots of cables. As well as heavy loads and more pollution, this also requires considerably more personnel.
“Our aim would be to send just the cameras, microphones, timing devices and scoreboards, greatly reducing the number of colleagues, vehicles and containers to be moved.”