What does a 5G enabled stadium of the future look like?

5G will change the way we watch our favourite sport and allow us to experience it in ways we never thought possible.

You’re heading to the footy and have seats in the nosebleed section so you’re not expecting to see everything perfectly. You get to the stadium and you’re automatically scanned in, there’s no waiting in a queue, you get to your seat, grab your phone and as the game kicks off, the view of the ground is crystal clear – you can see every angle of the pitch, every play and even player stats in high definition and in real time.

Better yet, your favourite footy snacks are delivered directly to your seat without you having to lift a finger. You use your phone to follow along with other games, chat to your friends, create an avatar of yourself in full team kit and post to social media all without lag -despite the tens of thousands of people in the crowd all doing the same thing.

This, and so much more, is coming and it’s all thanks to the latest in 5G network technology.  5G mmWave and - later down the track - 5G Edge Compute and Network Slicing will all be critical to create an even more immersive experience in stadiums.

It’s lightning fast speed and gargantuan bandwidth of 5G that makes this possible and with Optus 5G mmWave already rolling out - it means that the network can handle a lot more users at the same time, thousands more in fact, all in real time so you don’t miss a second of the action on or off the field.

In-venue innovation will become a normal part of live, in stadium entertainment. Things like touchless concession purchasing – means you can have the latest jersey delivered to your seat without the hassle of lining up and missing a minute of the action. 5G mmWave will take Augmented Reality to the next level providing a new level of interactivity and engagement with a rich, personalised experience where spectators can access instant replays, real-time analysis or even become active participants instead of passive spectators.

Or, imagine speeding into stadium with 5G enabled facial recognition technology thanks to a biometric ID that will allow you to gain entry easily, without needing to remember your physical ticket or line up. 

It all means stadium management can benefit from real time situational awareness and smart surveillance to help keep you moving where you need to go around the stadium thanks to sensors judging spacing between patrons in real time to eliminate congestion before it even starts.

At Optus we love delivering new and innovative experiences for our customers, which is why we equipped Optus Stadium in Perth with 5G in early 2021. Optus customers, with a 5G capable handset, benefit from access to Australia’s fastest 5G Mobile Network* throughout the stadium – even when it’s at full capacity.

Smart stadiums enabled by 5G will allow spectators to take the game into their own hands and at Optus we’re proud to be delivering the 5G technology that will make all of this possible.