Live From Super Bowl LIX: Verizon's Joe Russo on How 5G Can Get to the Next Level for Broadcasters, Fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director
Saturday, February 8, 2025 - 12:11 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
Verizon EVP of Global Networks and Technology Joe Russo is on site at Super Bowl LIX making sure that the large Verizon team, and the even larger Verizon 5G and wireless network is running properly. And that network is important as both the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles coaching staffs rely on a Verizon 5G network for their communications and, of course, tens of thousands of fans in the stadium will rely on it for their connectivity. Russo discussed the week's efforts and the future of 5G as a tool for broadcast production with SVG Editorial Director Ken Kerschbaumer.
What does Super Bowl week mean for Verizon given your role working with the NFL but then also supporting wireless needs of fans?
We leverage this event to showcase all our latest and greatest technology. It's not only for the venue itself, or for the back office of the NFL, or the city around it we're trying to put all of the technology we've been developing into the Super Bowl weekend so that we can demonstrate all the new stuff. Several years ago, we first started deploying 5G millimeter wave and we just keep building on that.
This year we have the coach-to-coach communication for the second year. We have a private network for the broadcasters to communicate. And we turned on standalone 5G throughout New Orleans which allows us to then do 5G advanced features this year like slicing for first responders or creators. We can guarantee certain capabilities that they need for what they're trying to do on our networks.
Joe Russo, Executive Vice President and President of Global Networks and Technology (GN&T) at Verizon
You mentioned year two of the coaching communications service. How has that been going?
I meet with the NFL's CIO every month and we talk about lots of different things, and I thought year one was exceptional. The performance of the network, the clarity of the communication is what they were looking for and we over-delivered on that. And now two things have happened since then. First, we are doing it for all their international games via our private 5G portable network that we take with us, and they keep expanding the international games, which makes it challenging for us as we have to work with local carriers. And then the other thing is we're now working with the NFL on expanding the private network we use for coach to coach for other things that they want to do like back-office support or sideline communications. The referees now have watches this year that are connected to the private network so we have proven how a private network can really give them end-to-end communication in a venue.
Obviously, broadcasters have shown they believe in bonded cellular technologies from companies like LiveU or TVU Networks. They are hugely important for broadcasters everywhere. And you mentioned slicing and one of the dreams for broadcasters is the ability to roll out their broadcast cameras for an event and tap into a 5G wireless network. Where are we on the roadmap to making that a reality?
One of four 5G transmission nodes on the field of Super Bowl LIX that will support coaches communications. Only two are active at any one time leaving the other two available as back ups.
We're in the early innings but there are three things that have to come together. The first is you have to have the 5G core to support it and we launched that nationwide last year, so the core now has all the capabilities you need to support 5G advanced features.
The second thing is you have to have the radio access network to support the 5G advanced features. We've taken a bit of a different approach than some of our competitors in that our view is if we're really going to offer these 5G advanced features we need to do them on our mid band or high band spectrums because if it's on the low band spectrum you might as well use 4G LTE. So, our view was let's build out the mid-band spectrum across the nation, get as much of the population covered as we can, and turn that spectrum on with standalone services. So that's kind of our strategy: make our standalone network a true differentiated experience that I could support with the great mid band spectrum, we have the C-band spectrum or millimeter wave, for certain applications like venues.
And then there is the third layer which is the devices have to support it. So today I think Samsung S21, and Apple 14 or newer cellphones all have SA capability. But what we have to work on with the ecosystems of backpacks that may have a 5G chip in it is we need to get them to support standalone networks. And I think that is where the industry is probably the furthest behind: having devices that support standalone networks.
What can be done to speed that along?
There are things we can do like RedCap or reduced capacity 5G which means the core doesn't need to support the kind of complex functions that are on a smartphone. We could reduce the form factor and reduce the cost. Our core now supports Redcap and we're working with all of the device manufacturers to bring the price and form factors down for those 5G SA capable devices so they can be put into backpacks and other things.
And the challenge there is that someone needs to manufacturer devices with those capabilities, but they won't do that unless there is a solid potential customer base who can support the manufacturing of those devices.
Exactly. So, if you look at the tablets on the sidelines that are used by the coaches and players at NFL games as an example, it's a Microsoft tablet today but it doesn't support 5G millimeter wave.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
01/06/2026
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...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
30/05/2026
Zero in on one that says yes (and no)
Andy Marken May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Hero image courtesy of Deposit Photos
For content creators the most difficu...
29/05/2026
With InfoComm 2026 just weeks away, NDI is giving attendees plenty of reasons to...
29/05/2026
Reaffirming a partnership that has defined Canadian sports broadcasting since 19...
29/05/2026
Mobile/tablet is No. 2 device for watching TV, suggesting that the sports-production industry needs to take another look at the format
Ring Digital's Sprin...
29/05/2026
Berliner Ensemble, one of Berlin's five major theater companies, has expande...
29/05/2026
Solid State Logic will showcase its new compact, fly-away TCA Tour audio product...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, passed away last month on April 12 ...
29/05/2026
Paramount+ will be the English-language U.S. home for Barclays Women's Super...
29/05/2026
Further strengthening its virtualisation strategy to fully support broadcasters ...
29/05/2026
Swiss broadcaster Canal Alpha has deployed Harmonic's award-winning, software-based XOS Advanced Media Processor to modernize playout operations across cant...
29/05/2026
PTZOptics will showcase a new generation of intelligent video workflows at InfoComm 2026, June 17-19, Las Vegas. Visitors to booth N8227 will see how PTZOptics ...
29/05/2026
Arizona's Family has launched the Arizona's Family Sports (AZFS) streaming app, a new direct-to-consumer destination for live, local sports. The app is ...
29/05/2026
Starting in 2027, DAZN will be the exclusive home of The Canadian Football Leagu...
29/05/2026
Comcast Business has detailed the advanced network infrastructure it has deploye...
29/05/2026
In two-day event, leaders from academia and industry explored solutions to chall...
29/05/2026
The Basketball Tournament (TBT), now entering their 13th year of competition, ha...
29/05/2026
Roku has launched FOX One as a Premium Subscription on The Roku Channel in the U.S. Roku customers can now subscribe to FOX One using their Roku account for liv...
29/05/2026
In its sixth year, the broadcaster's coverage has become a global brand and ...
29/05/2026
Ratings Roundup is a rundown of recent ratings news and is derived from press re...
29/05/2026
The days are getting longer, the temperatures are rising, and playlists are filling up for the season. With summer around the corner, Spotify's global edito...
29/05/2026
New retro-inspired MPC announced
There are few devices that have gained the status held by Akai Pro's MPC range, and in recent years, the company have s...
29/05/2026
Save up to 30 on acclaimed titles
Following a successful launch at Superbooth 2026, Bjooks have revealed that they will be continuing the Kickstarter campa...
29/05/2026
Binaural monitoring application improved
Genelec have just released an update that brings some powerful new features to their HRTF-based binaural headphone ...
29/05/2026
6 June 2026 at SAE Institute, London, UK
IMSTA FESTA 2026 is almost upon us, with some of the biggest names in pro-audio set to descend upon SAE Institute i...
29/05/2026
Gerald (Jerry) Pierce, a pioneering technologist who helped shape the digital transformation of the motion picture industry, died April 12, 2026, at his home in...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Comparing 5 AI Video Enhancers for Restoring Old Video Quality
Kate Luvis May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Digitizing VHS, MiniDV, and other legacy formats doe...
29/05/2026
Studio Hamburg Builds New Post Pipeline with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 29, 2026
0 Comments
Workflow replaces a patchwork of legacy tools...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
29/05/2026
At the Intersection of Music and Dance, an Epic Collaboration Boston Conservatory musicians and dancers found creative parallels in their recent performance o...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
Latino Film Institute Fellows Screen Their Short Films at the Egyptian Theatre
The Inclusion Fellowship and Spark Animation Grant uplifts 15 ...
29/05/2026
GLOOKAST LAUNCHES CINNAFILM TACHYON PLUGIN FOR MEDIA PRODUCER AND MEDIA SERVICES
This release first appeared here.
Visit our Tachyon product page or contact...
29/05/2026
May 29 2026, 09:00 (PDT) Dolby and rednote Bring More Immersive Storytelling to...
29/05/2026
Something fundamental has shifted in how people consume media. Audiences aren't abandoning television or radio content; they're just expanding how, wher...
29/05/2026
Youtube exclusive special drops today
Watch now
UKTV today announces another e...
29/05/2026
Back to All News
The Official Trailer of Physical 100 Italy, on Netflix From Se...
Live From Super Bowl LIX: Verizon's Joe Russo on How 5G Can Get to the Next Level for Broadcasters, Fans By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director 
