5G Innovations: Telstra, Intel and Ericsson demonstrate a 5G future for esports

Telstra, Intel and Ericsson, have unveiled one of the world’s first esports professional gaming experiences over 5G, showcasing the power of 5G’s ultra-low latency that professional and amateur gamers alike can expect in the future.

Fresh from Intel® Extreme Masters Sydney, pro esports team The Chiefs, helped demonstrate the technical capabilities of 5G at Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast through ultra-low latency of around five to six milliseconds, which is around four times lower than the average latency of 4G today. The Chiefs were one of the first esports teams in the world to experience gaming over 5G, which was streamed live to other gamers around the world on Twitch.

Telstra’s Executive Director Network and Infrastructure Engineering Channa Seneviratne said Telstra, Intel, and Ericsson used the mmWave wireless connectivity inside Telstra’s 5G Innovation Centre on the Gold Coast to power the demonstration, enabled through Ericsson’s 5G base station and core network. Intel provided its Intel 5G Mobile Trial Platform, which allows for quick implementation of the latest air interfaces and communication protocols.

“Esports is the fastest growing spectator sport in the world and this gaming experience is a real life example of how 5G might be used in future,” said Mr Seneviratne.

“Latency is the time it takes for data to be sent between two points, so it is crucial in the world of gaming when milliseconds can literally mean the difference between winning and losing. Esports demonstrates how that is possible over 5G, a benefit of the new technology that will underpin a host of use cases, including autonomous cars, drones and remote control of machinery“, said Mr Seneviratne.

“5G will enable on-demand entertainment anywhere, making it more vibrant and immersive, and esports is a prime example of a use case that gets significantly better with faster speeds, ultra-low latency, and massive capacity,” said Jonathan Wood, Intel’s Senior Director 5G Market Development and Partnerships within Intel’s Next Generation and Standards group. “This 5G esports demonstration is just the beginning of Intel’s commitment to transform the gaming ecosystem with end-to-end technology solutions with our partners.”

Ericsson’s Managing Director Australia and New Zealand, Emilio Romeo said “We’ve partnered with Telstra and Intel to deliver esports professionals an unrivalled gaming experience with 5G, allowing them to play in a mobile setting while having the low latency they can only get today from a wireline network. This demonstration is another example of how 5G’s low latency and high throughput can be used across various industries, providing greater efficiency and mobility.”

Members of the public were also able to participate in this world first experience, with esports games set up at Anzac Park on the Gold Coast. They were joined by Tom Lynch from the Gold Coast Suns and esports host Stephanie ‘Hex’ Bendixsen.

“Telstra is continuing to test next generation mobile technologies in Australian conditions to support the early commercial deployment of 5G mobile services in Australia. 5G has the potential to change the way we live and work, and today’s 5G gaming demonstration shows it will unleash a host of new opportunities,” said Mr Seneviratne.