The telecoms giant worked with the BBC to provide the network in Birmingham’s Victoria Square to screen the arrival of the Queen’s Baton as part of a record-setting 57.1m streaming audience achieved during the Games duration.
Birmingham 2022 was streamed six times more than the previous Commonwealth Games, Gold Coast 2018, with the highest peak on linear coverage set at 6.6m during the swimming events on day three and 5.2m for the Opening Ceremony.
BT deployed the trailer variant of its portable private network, which provides bespoke 5G coverage and low latency to provide more effective connections than a ‘standard network’ in high-density coverage areas such as events with large crowds.
Faisal Mahomed, director of BT Media and Broadcast, said: “We’re excited to have had the opportunity to deliver this trial of a 5G private network for a sporting event of this magnitude.
“The Commonwealth Games has been a huge event for Birmingham, and the wider UK, and I’m thrilled that BT was able to play a part in facilitating the TV coverage that 300 million viewers across the globe were able to watch at home or stream on the move. Our teams are leading the way in implementing new technology that can have a positive impact for broadcasters, in particular by enabling them to deliver high quality content with greater efficiency.”
BT combined its trailer network with Vislink’s subsidiary Mobile Viewpoint UltraLink-Air 5G cellular encoders to roam the event and deliver uninterrupted, low latency video feeds and bi-directional communication with the camera operator. Rather than broadcast cameras that connect to the outside broadcast solely using radio (RF) signals which rely on proprietary equipment, the private network enabled 5G connected cameras to roam freely within the area covered by the network.
