Telefónica installs advanced TV 5G network for Real Club Deportivo

Telefónica has installed a dedicated 5G network at the Abanca-Riazor stadium of the Real Club Deportivo football club in A Coruña that will enable robot roving, fixed and panoramic cameras to follow matches in real time, transmitting video feeds live via the network.

The 5G pilot has been deployed using technology rom Ericsson for both 3.5GHz and millimetre wave coverage.

The network will be used in conjunction with Edge computing and AI to deliver enhanced coverage of matches.

Technology company Cinfo is providing its Tiivii system that enables the management of eight cameras providing live, low-latency feeds through the network, with five robot cameras to watch action in real time close up alongside two fixed cameras and one panoramic camera.

Telefónica has created an Edge computing centre in A Coruña to host the Cinfo technology. Th latter’s AI algorithms can perform game analysis in real time, attach labels to moves on the field and orientate and switch cameras to generate a signal suitable for a live TV feed.

Cinfo will also provide features aimed at spectators in the stadium, including ‘KissCam’ services and augmented reality heat maps.

Telefónica said that the experiment would demonstrate how event broadcasting can be done without the need for expensive mobile TV units, resulting in a democratisation of live event broadcasting.