Antevia Networks has deployed a private 5G network at a rugby ground in the UK.

The telecoms equipment vendor notes that the deployment at Bath Rugby's 14,500 capacity Recreation Ground has provided "low-cost, high-performance, predictable connectivity across the entire stadium and fan zone."

Reading-based Antevia deployed its private end-to-end 5G Shift solution at the ground.

A private mobile network is based on an isolated network and designed to serve a specific purpose for a particular business or use case, such as a factory. By contrast, a public network is wireless connectivity that is available to everyone, delivered to an end user's handheld device via the mobile carriers in that particular market.

Private networks offer greater control over who can access the networks, meaning they have an added element of security for the enterprise.

Founded in 2021, Antevia Networks designs and develops 5G in-building solutions for enterprises

According to Antevia, it's been able to deploy its 5G private network using a fraction of the access points, meaning that it has been able to save on its cellular deployment costs.

The company notes that its network requires no RF planning and is able to be deployed rapidly, and can be managed by the club's existing IT team.

Premiership Rugby champions Bath previously reported issues of severe congestion over its Wi-Fi and macro cellular networks, noted Antevia, which led to issues with Point-of-Sale (PoS) terminals.

Antevia states that Bath Rugby is now using its private 5G network to run these PoS terminals for food, beverage, and club-shop transactions.

On top of this, the private network is enabling push-to-talk communications for medical teams and match-day operations, CCTV and body-worn cameras for crowd safety and control, temporary connectivity for VIP hospitality areas, high-speed media access for journalists filing live reports, and digital signage across fan areas delivering real-time interviews, replays, and information.

"Bath Rugby's Recreation Ground is a perfect example of how simple, scalable, and cost-effective private 5G can deliver real-world value. 5G Shift gives organizations comprehensive coverage with ultra-low latency at a low price point, without the complexities and heavy engineering normally associated with the deployment of private cellular," said Simon Cosgrove, CEO at Antevia Networks.

Antevia explains that its 5G Shift utilizes cloud-based virtualized RAN architecture built on O-RAN standards and COTS hardware.

Because of this, the patented multiplexing technology enables all radios to appear as a single shared 5G cell, which eliminates handover issues and significantly reduces the number of access points required.

The company worked with Bath Rugby and Swindon-based telecoms service provider Spry Fox Networks to deploy the private network.