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5G enables Bastille AR livestream

Mobile network operator EE showcases the potential of 5G connectivity for the live industry, as fans use superfast mobile internet to livestream a Bastille show in AR

By Anna Grace on 02 Dec 2019

5G enables Bastille AR livestream

Bastille performed at Birmingham New Street train station in the UK


image © EE

High-speed mobile internet allowed fans across the UK to livestream a surprise Bastille concert in augmented reality, in EE’s latest demonstration of its 5G technology.

The band, who are currently on tour in the UK and Ireland, performed at Birmingham New Street train station on Thursday (28 November).

Fans in Liverpool Lime Street station and Edinburgh’s Shore Street station also viewed the show, using Samsung 5G devices and Nreal’s mixed reality glasses for a full AR experience.

The show forms part of a new EE advert, due to be aired from January 2020. EE was the first provider to make its 5G network available to UK customers in May last year, followed by Vodafone in June, Three in August and, most recently, O2 in October.

“With 5G, our customers can enjoy immersive experiences no matter where they are, even during their commute and in the busiest places,” comments Pete Jeavons, marketing communications director at BT and EE.

“This AR performance from Bastille in three cities simultaneously, is a great demonstration of what’s now possible for our customers with 5G”

“We’re saying goodbye to the days of refreshing our screens while waiting to get out of the station into a less congested area. This extraordinary AR performance from Bastille in three cities simultaneously, is a great demonstration of what’s now possible for our customers with 5G.”

In its annual entertainment and media outlook report, consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) pegged the widespread availability of 5G as a “trend to keep an eye on”. Access to 5G, said a technology expert at the firm, is likely to increase the use of concert live streams and virtual reality (VR) concert, as well as prompting “better use of AI (artificial intelligence)”.

Speaking in IQ’s European Arena Yearbook 2019, Gil Murphy, head of event technology at Stockholm’s Ericsson Globe stated that 5G connectivity is “the next technological leap” for arenas, noting that “great connectivity […] is one of the basic components of the live experience.”

The AEG-backed MTS Live Arena in Moscow, due to open next year, will be among those to provide 5G to its customers.

 


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