The company performed a live video broadcast online via a 5G connection.At the year 2018 Internet Hungary conference Vodafone presented the future: the telecommunications company broadcasted live, online video content via a 5G network for the first time in the country, streaming it onto the world-wide-web in HD quality. The connection was established in the 3.5GHz frequency band, where Vodafone Hungary is the only mobile operator in Hungary to own a frequency spectrum suitable for the provision of commercial services.
Vodafone Hungary was the first ever operator in Hungary to broadcast live, online video content via a 5G network. Through this, the Company took the country one step closer to a future where, thanks to self-driving cars also communicating with each other, traffic safety will significantly improve, doctors will be able to operate remotely, and, owing to virtual reality, learning will become more interactive and efficient than ever. In fact, this is all within reach already, as the market anticipates new, 5th generation networks to launch in the first half of 2020. 5G will bring about the most significant changes in machine-to-machine communication, as it will facilitate the connection of a significantly higher number of devices than currently, concentrated over a smaller area than at present, plus faster and with lower latency than ever. According to Ericsson’s year 2018 Mobility Report, the number of mobile IoT (Internet of Things) connections is expected to reach 3.5 billion by 2023, and by the same time 20% of global data traffic will be conducted via 5G networks.
Vodafone Group has taken a leading role in international developments and tests linked to 5G: in February Vodafone and Huawei were the first players in the world to successfully establish a 5G call using the then new non-standalone standard, which builds on existing 4G networks. Since then, numerous tests have started in Italy (Milan), in the United Kingdom and in Germany.
Vodafone presented the capabilities of the next generation of mobile networks on 25 September, at the Internet Hungary conference. The content of the HearthStone Hungarian Cup conducted in the Budapest Head Office building of Vodafone, organised by Esport Universum, was edited and commented on in real time in the on-site studio in Siófok, following which the broadcast was uploaded to the world-wide-web using a 5G connection, where audiences could follow the live, HD-quality video stream via the Twitch platform, on the Fusion TV channel.
At its first 5G demo presented to the general public, Vodafone used a standalone Huawei test core network, i.e. one that’s independent of the existing 4G network, as well as a 5G modem and radio device fitted with an active antenna. The essence of the active antenna (also known as ‘massive MIMO’) is that there are several antennas on the sides of both the equipment and the mobile station, which are capable of broadcasting and receiving different pieces of information at the same time. This radio device, fitted with the active antenna, secured the 5G connection via the 3.5GHz frequency range for the network modem, to which the video server was connected. In the near future, with the introduction of 5G, the same solution, i.e. the live broadcasting of HD-quality videos, will be possible to use not only at sporting events but even in ambulances, allowing hospital diagnostics to take place during the patient’s transportation to the hospital. These features will require all the unique characteristics of 5G networks, such as low latency, stability, a well as high capacity and transmission speed.
By presenting the smart parking solution, which uses the narrow-band IoT network (NB-IoT), and by creating a live 5G network, Vodafone, within a very short space of time, took two very important steps on the road to supporting Hungary’s digital development.
‘Today we brought the future closer, the future we call Gigabit Hungary. Vodafone will continue to take an ever-larger share in turning the country into one of the Top 5 most competitive economies within the European Union. Once the approval of the competition authority is granted, in the wake of UPC Hungary’s acquisition, the merged company will be able to rely on its available resources to accelerate investment into Hungary’s digital infrastructure, including 5G mobile networks and new generation fixed-line networks. And by becoming capable of providing not only mobile but also television and fixed-line Internet services, Vodafone will be able to offer the benefits of intensifying competition to consumer and corporate customers not only in network development but also in the area of innovative services.’ – explained Amanda Nelson, CEO of Vodafone Hungary at the demo of the live 5G network.
Source: press release
Photo: www.pixabay.com
