As with everything in life, stagnation is a big no-no. Thus, it seems our world is about to change once more, as soon as 5G technology comes into play.
Sure, the Football World Cup is behind us. But that doesn’t mean we cannot watch the next one by using the latest cutting-edge technology.
So what will 5G bring us? Well, an entire evolution, of course.
What is 5G?
Before we continue about what 5G can do for the sports industry, we need to know what it actually is. In layman’s terms, the 5G technology is the latest “upgrade” or the next generation of mobile broadband. In essence, experts expect that it will replace its predecessor, the 4G technology, in a few years.
It’s important to know that the 4G technology will serve as a foundation for it. At first, it’s expected that 5G will enhance features already available with 4G.
Even though providers are working hard on making it commercially available, some of the first users won’t get 5G immediately. However, once 4G becomes obsolete, the use of 5G will prevail.
Apart from aiding the sports industry, 5G will, in general, provide us with:
- Faster download and upload speeds
- Low latency
- Higher capacity per sector
- More stable connectivity
- More security
The impact 5G will have on the sports industry
Better speeds at large sports events
Connectivity is always causing headaches to those behind sports or other types of events with large audiences. In essence, since most of them use their phones during the game, low latency is a common issue. Furthermore, traffic prioritization and capacity cause many problems, both for the users and the authorities.
But it seems this will all change with 5G due to its ability to increase the capacity 4G has. Some say that the transmission speeds could experience a tenfold or even a 100-fold increase! Moreover, regarding content sharing, the upload speeds will also be revolutionized. This will allow users to share live events without lags and without posting low-quality content.
Safety
One of the most interesting things about 5G is that it will make prioritizing traffic even better than before. Since critical messages sent to military and emergency services will get segmented and prioritized individually, those in need will quickly get help without other users having to suffer through low speeds. This separation is, indeed, of the utmost importance, as we’ll essentially ensure that everyone can use 5G without issues, and especially in crowds.
Better broadcasting quality on smartphones and immersive viewing
Since 5G will have high bandwidth, those who want to view sports events in HD will get to do that without any lags. The higher bandwidth will allow for more streams to be sent over the networks. Thus, more sports fans will enjoy their favorite games without annoying and pertinent issues from the past.
On top of that, the viewing options will be revolutionary as well. Those watching will be able to choose from different viewing perspectives, which will be far more enjoyable than simply watching from one camera angle perspective. Moreover, they may be able to choose to watch the game from an athlete’s view, giving them an entirely new type of sports experience.
Enhancement of smart stadiums
We can expect various changes regarding smart stadiums since 5G will allow multiple devices to connect to each other. Thus, seating, traffic flow, and broadcasting techniques, just to name a few, will get enhanced, which will add to the overall experience of the games themselves.
Our gadgets will only get better with 5G
Finally, we mustn’t forget that this technology will give us access to Black Mirror’s world, but in an entirely good way. Since it’s able to connect various devices and almost instantly transfer data around, managing prosthetic devices and using ingestible heart rate monitors won’t be a problem for professional athletes in the future.
Moreover, we’ve already seen what 5G can do for sports equipment. During the Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, two skiing professionals demonstrated how they would use sensor-filled suits to hone their skills and become much faster at this sport. This technology allowed them to connect their suits to their coach’s smartphone, which could monitor how they were doing on the slopes, and even send them a vibrating warning to slow down.
The new viewing features were also on display in Pyeongchang, as spectators could easily access replays they could watch in slow motion, freeze or even rotate. What’s more, the real-time 5G video of skiers being tracked on the Alpensia ski slope gave the viewers a glimpse of how it would look like if we had access to viewing sports from the athlete’s perspective.
Final thoughts
A regular person probably won’t be able to figure out just how 5G technology works. But luckily, we don’t have to know how it does its magic. What matters is that the sports industry will likely go through a technological revolution and that the fans will grow in enthusiasm as soon as they see the features this new technology will bring them. Essentially, the next generation of mobile broadband will not only change our lives but also change how we play and view sports.
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