Network Evolution | Telekom tests 5G uplink at Berlin Marathon

5G premiere at the Berlin Marathon: For the first time, Telekom has successfully made the 5G uplink, i.e. the transmission of data, 5G-capable in its 5G network.

Together with Infront Productions, Telekom tested how high-quality television images can be integrated into worldwide live reporting. At the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON it was possible to use TV pictures via the commercial 5G network of Telekom in Berlin Schoeneberg.

The uplink test

During the marathon, Telekom optimized several 5G locations for the video upload for the test around the half-marathon brand. 5G Smartphones were used as modems on the professional cameras. They transmitted the camera images via Telekom's 5G network to the control room. The test was successful. These marathon pictures were absolutely smooth and of perfect quality. The marathon’s host broadcaster, Infront Productions, incorporated the test images into their worldwide live coverage.

"5G takes data transmission to a new level. The test in Berlin is an example of the possibilities that guaranteed uploads offer media companies. 5G offers production companies high quality and low latencies for live images," says Tiana Trumpa, 5G Product Manager at Deutsche Telekom. "We want to make such applications possible with our 5G network".

The test in Berlin confirms that a stable transmission of camera signals for professional TV productions with 50 frames per second over 5G is possible. In addition, selected users captured their very personal pictures of the race on 5G smartphones. These video impressions were processed by a cloudbased control room. In future, cloud based production will save infrastructure and local resources and will reduce the use of helicopters and airplanes.

Peer Seitz, Head of Production at Infront Productions, says: "One of the first successful tests of 5G camera technology took place here at what is probably the fastest marathon in the world. This is a milestone in 5G production and a first step towards offering production even more sustainable and resource-optimized for our partners in future. We would like to thank our partners Deutsche Telekom and the BMW BERLIN-MARATHON for the good cooperation."

5G for image transmissions of live events

5G has several advantages for image transmissions of live events. If the mobile network guarantees and provides fixed bandwidths, it will open up new possibilities for production companies. They can work without any extra infrastructure for transmissions and thus save time and money. Even events from which there are no live pictures today can benefit. In future, Telekom's 5G network could enable transmissions with little effort and without complex technical setup on site through cloud-based production.

Another possible application is to include pictures and videos of fans in the transmission. 5G's quality features also allow high-quality content from private smartphones to be transmitted via the mobile network. Production companies can then use this content in their reporting. This allows viewers to be more intensively involved in an event and simply get closer to it.