Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

BT Sport World-First Standalone 5G Broadcast for MotoGP at Silverstone Is a Step Towards Transmission Transformation

08/09/2021

BT Sport world-first standalone 5G broadcast for MotoGP at Silverstone is a step towards transmission transformation By Adrian Pennington

Monday, September 6, 2021 - 13:24

Print This Story

At the recent British Grand Prix, MotoGP at Silverstone, BT Sport was able to advance 5G trials

Trials of sports media innovations like augmented reality (AR), 8K and 5G have been delayed by the pandemic, but as crowds and crews get back to the stadiums, tests are starting up once more.

The leader of the pack in Europe at least is BT Sport which has plans for all three technologies in the works.

At the recent British Grand Prix, MotoGP at Silverstone [Sunday 29 August], BT Sport was able to advance the 5G part of its plan in concert with long-standing motorsport partner, MotoGP, and bag a world first in the process.

We've been talking with MotoGP and rights holder Dorna about exploring 5G and how it can transform some of their workflows, explains BT Sport chief engineer Andy Beale. There's a real-world problem to solve. Increasingly the wireless bandwidth traditionally used for radio cams and mics is being squeezed out and so reclaiming some of the public 4G and 5G spectrum is potentially a good way of solving reduced frequency count.

BT Sport embarked on a project with Dorna to explore whether 5G was a viable use case as replacement technology for radio cameras in the pit lane and paddock.

Also in the consortium were RF partner Vislink and the University of Strathclyde, which has a 5G lab. The aim was to build a standalone 5G network and explore its potential during live broadcast.

We didn't believe the main 5G network at Silverstone would support the required quality of service, Beale says. With 60,000 fans, a large circuit area and just one 5G cell we didn't think it would be reliable.

University of Strathclyde built a bespoke, private 5G network for BT Sport to use at MotoGP at Silverstone

Bespoke network

So, the University of Strathclyde built a bespoke one. A standalone network uses the same principals as a non-contested private network, which is why they think it's a world's first, Beale says. It's part of a wider project basically looking at 5G tech longer term as a replacement for traditional coded orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (COFDM).

For the British GP 5G trial, Vislink customised a version of its H-Cam transmitter that clips to the back of a camera and built a 5G transponder on that for use in the pit lane before the race. These pictures went to air on the International Programme Feed (world feed) and were also clipped into BT Sport's live coverage.

That was used very extensively and successfully up and down the pit lane, says Beale.

The small cell built by Strathclyde Uni was rigged on the outside of the circuit and, unlike traditional hardware based, specialised and proprietary cells from the likes of network operators Nokia, Ericsson and Huawei, this was built entirely in the CPU as a software-defined network.

Beale adds: This is a CPU-run 5G cell running virtually (apart from the physical antenna,) on local equipment, and that's important as we do more and more remote productions and start taking feeds into the cloud.

As a next step, BT Sport will take it fully into the cloud.

Vislink also built a militarised' version of the transmitter/transponder for mounting on the back of the media bike, pictures from which are made available for rights holder to use for features.

For BT Sport at Silverstone, former world superbike champion-turned-pundit, Neil Hodgson, rode around the track on the Thursday before race day commentating on the lap.

5G cells have a lower footprint than 4G [meaning more of them are required to cover large areas] so we knew the 5G coverage wouldn't work for the whole lap, but it did work for the section the 5G cell was on, he says.

That's important because the tests were made at various speeds from 100kph to 180kph.

What we're hoping as an industry is that, with 5G, we can use more consistent frequencies which should make it easier operationally for rights holders and broadcasters

We're pleased it still did a pretty good job, Beale continues. The signal has to authenticate when it arrives on the cell so when the bike is going top speed you do lose a bit of track while that handshake takes place, but it kept a clean signal all the way around the complex before it was lost into the start of turn one.

For Dorna, the issue is that at every circuit it attends around the world, the bandwidth for radio cameras and mics is wildly different. So the team has to have kit that works in all these frequencies and as that bandwidth gets compressed it becomes harder and harder to make all those work reliably.

Dorna has around 90-plus radio cameras, let alone radio mics and talkback, each weekend. Beale says: What we're hoping as an industry is that, with 5G, we can use more consistent frequencies which should make it easier operationally for rights holders and broadcasters. The 5G spectrum has a much more consistent specification worldwide.

Sports TV presenter, Natalie Quirk, reporting from trackside at MotoGP at Silverstone for BT Sport, using a custom 5G network

Network slicing still to come

Extensive 5G live production will require network slicing, which is the ability for a broadcaster to licence and hive off a part of the spectrum for the duration of an event.

That's still not available unfortunately, says Beale, who attributes the tardiness of its standardisation to COVID. Slicing would enable us to safely join a public network without contention but we're still waiting for that to arrive. That's why we're using a standalone network to give us the same effect.

That said, the advantages of the standalone model are not great for
LINK: https://www.svgeurope.org/blog/headlines/bt-sport-world-first-standalo...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

05/01/2027

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be demoed at CES 2026

Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...

04/08/2026

Dalet Announces Commercial Availability of Dalia, Bringing Media-Aware Agentic AI to Enterprise Productions

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...

04/07/2026

Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in Dolby Cinemas Across Japan, Presented in Dolby Atmos and Dolby ...

April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...

01/06/2026

Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026

January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026 Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...

21/05/2026

Spectrum Launches New California News Networks

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

21/05/2026

Vivid Unease Ashley Barron ACS Lights Netflixs How to Get...

For cinematographer Ashley Barron ACS ( Rivals , Dangerous Liaisons , Disney's Doctor Who ), setting the look of Netflix's How to Get to Heaven from ...

21/05/2026

Hensgens Pairs Airglow and LiteMat on Cannes 2026 Premier...

Jean-Fran ois Hensgens, AFC, SBC, (Tueurs, Six Days in Spring, Le Fil) brings his signature visual approach to Cannes 2026 premiering biopic L'Affaire Marie...

21/05/2026

2026 delegation for Partner with Australia (UK) initiative announced

2026 delegation for Partner with Australia (UK) initiative announced 21 May 2026 Screen Australia and Ausfilm have today announced the delegation for the 2026 ...

21/05/2026

Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Production pipelines

Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Productio...

21/05/2026

Shelly Johnson Elected President of American Society of Cinematographers

Shelly Johnson Elected President of American Society of Cinematographers Brie Clayton May 20, 2026 0 Comments The American Society of Cinematographers...

21/05/2026

ARRI expands Management Board to accelerate next phase of growth and innovation

ARRI expands Management Board to accelerate next phase of growth and innovation Brie Clayton May 20, 2026 0 Comments ARRI expands its Management Board...

20/05/2026

New Nissan Stadium Is First NFL Venue With Permanent Built-In Music Stage

True to the Music City theme, the Tennessee Titans plan to make live music a prominent fixture on game days at the new venue Reflecting the continuing converge...

20/05/2026

NHL Taps Honeywell To Make Arenas, Facilities More Energy-Efficient

The long-term goal is innovation for the next generation of hockey rinks at both the professional and the community level The National Hockey League (NHL) toda...

20/05/2026

A Look Into the Future: What It Takes To Power the Next Generation of Sports Stadiums

End-users and vendors alike work toward cost-effective yet high-quality solution...

20/05/2026

Nasvhvilles New Nissan Stadium To Host Super Bowl LXIV in 2030

The National Football League has announced that Nashville will host Super Bowl LXIV in 2030 at the new Nissan Stadium. The announcement was made at the NFL Spri...

20/05/2026

NFL Awards Minnesota as Host Site of 2028 NFL Draft

The NFL has announced that the 2028 NFL Draft presented by Bud Light will take place in Minnesota, uniting fans from around the world to celebrate one of the mo...

20/05/2026

Lawo Highlights Edge One at InfoComm 2026

As professional AV workflows continue to evolve, expectations around audio, video, networking, and control are rising rapidly. At InfoComm 2026 in Las Vegas, La...

20/05/2026

Haivision to Showcase Video Wall, IPTV, and Ultra-Low Latency Video Innovations at InfoComm 2026

Haivision will showcase its latest innovations at InfoComm 2026, taking place fr...

20/05/2026

Spotify House Returns to CMA Fest With 3 Days of Nonstop Country Music

For the seventh year, Spotify is returning to CMA Fest with Spotify House, the festival's premiere destination for fans. We're taking over downtown Nash...

20/05/2026

Aero 2 from Acustica Audio

Amp-simulation software expanded Acustica Audio's latest release greatly expands on their amp-simulation platform, turning it into a complete amplifica...

20/05/2026

Arturia update the KeyLab Mk3

MainStage integration, Analog Lab improvements & more Arturia have just announced the release of an update that brings an assortment of new features to thei...

20/05/2026

SGL Carbon holds successful Annual General Meeting with strong approval of proposed resolutions

At the Annual General Meeting held on May 20, 2026, the shareholders of SGL Carb...

20/05/2026

From Gulkula to the nation: Yothu Yindi Foundation and NITV deepen national access to Garma Festival

From Gulkula to the nation: Yothu Yindi Foundation and NITV deepen national acce...

20/05/2026

SBS appoints David Fernandez as National Manager, Digital & TV Sales

SBS appoints David Fernandez as National Manager, Digital & TV Sales 20 May, 2026 Media releases SBS has appointed David Fernandez as National Manager, Dig...

20/05/2026

Rohde & Schwarz and INFOZAHYST: A strategic alliance set to redefine modern defense

Rohde & Schwarz and INFOZAHYST: A strategic alliance set to redefine modern defe...

20/05/2026

L3Harris Achieves Major Milestones With Latest Series of Rotating Detonation Engine Tests

A Rotating Detonation Engine being hot fire tested at Purdue University's Zu...

20/05/2026

VAMPIRE Confirms Integrated Capability During Live Exercises

A U.S. Army VAMPIRE system, assigned to Bravo Battery, 1st Battalion, 51st Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 7th Infantry Division/Multi-Domain Command - Pacific ...

20/05/2026

NCAA Tournaments Spark March Madness for Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery in Nielsen's The Gauge

Cable Captures Only Monthly Increase Among Viewing Categories in March, Earns it...

20/05/2026

The Gauge: Poland | April 2026

April brought a symbolic decrease in the overall time spent in front of television screens. On average, Poles watched video content for 3 hours and 51 minutes a...

20/05/2026

DirecTV Asks FCC to Block Scripps' INYO Acquisition

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/05/2026

RTS Technology Centre Launches the RTS Technology Awards...

The Royal Television Society Technology Centre today announces the launch of the RTS Technology Awards 2026, celebrating excellence, innovation and achievement ...

20/05/2026

Lightware powers immersive video spectacle for The Hunger...

In the heart of London's financial district, the new purpose-built Troubadour Canary Wharf Theatre invites audiences to experience Suzanne Collins' inte...

20/05/2026

New LiveU LU900Q Powers Record Breaking Broadcast of the...

LiveU, the leader in live IP-video solutions, today announced that production powerhouse BCC Live successfully deployed the new LU900Q intelligent production un...

20/05/2026

Nella Mente di Narciso Docuseries Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow

Nella Mente di Narciso Docuseries Uses Blackmagic Design Workflow Brie Clayton May 19, 2026 0 Comments PYXIS 6K full frame camera and DaVinci Resolve ...

20/05/2026

Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Production pipelinesx

Beeble launches Canvas, a node-based AI compositor for VFX and Virtual Productio...

20/05/2026

DSPolitical and FreeWheel Partner on Political CTV Ads

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/05/2026

Amazon, Netflix and Google to Capture Half of CTV Ad Market by 2030

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/05/2026

Roku Introduces 'Creator Hub

Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email...

20/05/2026

First Nations Factual Co-production Development Fund launched to elevate Indigenous storytelling in global markets

First Nations Factual Co-production Development Fund launched to elevate Indigen...

20/05/2026

TLC Announces All-Star Comedy Line-Up for Mock the Week: Summer Specials' on TLC

TLC Announces All-Star Comedy Line-Up for Mock the Week: Summer Specials' o...

20/05/2026

'One Hundred Years of Solitude' Concludes This August, With Part Two Premiering on the 5th and the Grand Finale on the 26th

Back to All News One Hundred Years of Solitude Concludes This August, With Part...

20/05/2026

Beloved NHK Dramas to Stream on Netflix Worldwide Starting June 22

Back to All News Beloved NHK Dramas to Stream on Netflix Worldwide Starting June 22 Entertainment 20 May 2026 GlobalJapan Link copied to clipboard Netflix...

20/05/2026

Dolby Recognized as 2025 Supplier of the Year and Overdrive Award Winner by General Motors

May 20 2026, 06:00 (PDT) Dolby Recognized as 2025 Supplier of the Year and Over...

20/05/2026

Two cooks shortlisted for the final of RT Today's TV Home Cook Competition

Mayo's Dee Freney and Margaret Leahy from Galway have reached the final of RT Today's TV Home Cook competition. Both contestants will cook again live...

20/05/2026

RT IN FULL BLOOM AT BORD BIA BLOOM 2026 WITH LIVE BROADCASTS, MUSIC, CHAT AND MUCH MORE

RT IN FULL BLOOM AT BORD BIA BLOOM 2026 WITH LIVE BROADCASTS, MUSIC, CHAT AND M...

19/05/2026

Young Journalist' finalists visit London for training and networking

The winner of Thomson Foundation's Young Journalist of the Year 2025, Tracy Bonareri Onchoke, and runner up Wangu Kanuri enjoyed a three-day trip to London ...

19/05/2026

Cisco and USGA Announce Multiyear Partnership Extension

Cisco and the USGA have announced a multiyear extension of their partnership, which began in 2018. Cisco serves as the Official Technology Partner of the USGA, ...

19/05/2026

Urban Edge Network and Spiideo Partner to Enhance NAIA Sports Streaming

Urban Edge Network (UEN), a streaming platform for NAIA sports, has announced a partnership with Spiideo to provide streaming and production tools to UEN's ...

19/05/2026

Warner Bros. Discovery Announces Expanded Roland-Garros 2026 Coverage

Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) will provide live coverage of all 900 Roland-Garros matches across its platforms beginning with qualifiers on May 18. In Europe, 21...

19/05/2026

Tubi Launches FIFA World Cup 2026 FOX Hub

Tubi, Fox Corporation's free streaming service, has announced the launch of the FIFA World Cup 2026 FOX Hub, a dedicated destination for World Cup programmi...