MWC 2019: Ericsson and Telefónica Connect 5G at Camp Nou Stadium

Ericsson is the main radio supplier for Telefónica Spain, including the city of Barcelona. Currently, the Camp Nou stadium has a dedicated 3G and 4G coverage system based on Ericsson Micro Radio Units and the Radio Dot System in the VIP areas. This solution makes Camp Nou one of the best stadiums in Europe in terms of mobile capacity and performance.

Now Ericsson has evolved that solution to 5G in the stadium using massive MIMO active antennas in the 3.5GHz. Telefónica, Ericsson and FC Barcelona streamed live images from Camp Nou to MWC19, ​​as well as exclusive footage of the first team's training and a virtual tour of the stadium. The project has been developed in collaboration with GSMA and Mobile World Capital Barcelona, ​​within the framework of the 5G Barcelona initiative.

Telefónica and Movistar Riders presented at  MWC Barcelona the “Movistar Riders on 5G“ event, the first exhibition in Europe on 5G and esports. During the presentation, the Movistar Riders Call of Duty professional team used gaming consoles and a 5G router connected to the internet through Ericsson's 5G mobile network. Four team members played Call of Duty: Black Ops 4.

Ericsson and Telefónica are also collaborating on a second project within the 5G Barcelona initiative. They have partnered with Spanish auto maker SEAT and several other companies for a pilot of two 5G-assisted vehicles. The pilot is centered on cellular vehicle-to-everything (C-V2X) and edge technologies, using 5G to connect with vehicles, pedestrians and city infrastructure.

In a fourth 5G engagement at MWC, Telefónica and Ericsson with other partners announced a 5G-based television production solution that enables immediate TV coverage with professional quality. It relies on the low latency, edge computing and high bandwidth of 5G to include production software installed on the network edge. Ericsson provided the network equipment, including 5G radio equipment, edge and core network.