Ericsson has partnered with Tre Sverige (Three Sweden), Sony, and Bildbyrån, a Scandinavian sports photography agency, to use a network slice at a football match in Sweden.
The vendor created the dedicated slice over a 5G Standalone (5G SA) network at the 3Arena in Stockholm over the weekend as rivals Hammarby and Djurgården faced each other in an Allsvenskan fixture.
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According to Ericsson, it was the first time network slicing has been used at a football stadium in the country.
The purpose of the slice was to provide two Bildbyrån photographers with guaranteed continuous 5G SA connectivity. This was provided via Tre Sverige’s Ericsson-powered mobile network.
Mobile connectivity can often be temperamental at sporting arenas due to the high number of users accessing services in a small area. At this match, more than 28,000 fans were in attendance.
Ericsson noted that the network slice enabled the photographers to instantly send high-definition action shots from the pitch side to Bildbyrån offices and media outlet partners.
“This is a clear example of how the new 5G standalone technology creates tangible benefits. Sporting events are an environment where connectivity is truly put to the test, and with 5G slicing, we can offer a solution that facilitates fast and secure image transmission," said Peter Dahlberg, head of radio strategy, Tre Sverige.
Tre Sverige and Ericsson worked together to implement 5G slicing for the first time in Sweden when part of Tre's public 5G network was dedicated to the broadcast of the Stockholm Marathon last year.
Issa Al-Fanek, key account manager, Ericsson, added that network slicing can offer mobile carriers an additional revenue stream, in particular for use cases such as sporting arenas.
"This technology creates new business models for service providers and is transformative for the media industry, enabling immersive experiences across traditional media production, such as second scene virtual reality, ultra-high-definition services, and on-site live event experiences," said Al-Fanek.
It's not the first case of a network operator using network slicing at sports stadia. Just last month, Vodafone said it was able to complete a simultaneous trial of multiple 5G SA network slices during this year's Six Nations rugby tournament.
