NFL Season Kicks Off With Peek at Verizon 5G in 13 Stadiums
NFL Kicks Off With Preview of Verizon 5G Service in 13 Stadiums
(Bloomberg) -- When the Green Bay Packers meet their conference rivals the Chicago Bears Thursday to open the pro football season, Verizon Communications Inc. Chief Executive Officer Hans Vestberg will be there, too, monitoring the kickoff of 5G wireless service.
Chicago’s Soldier Field is one of 13 stadiums that Verizon has outfitted with the world’s most advanced -- and hyped -- communications. AT&T Inc., which is also building a new network for its wireless customers, is getting into the game, too, with 5G at the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium.
Fans at the Verizon sites will be able to watch demos of multiangle instant replays, while AT&T will let attendees in Dallas play with 5G devices. Though that’s a long way from the self-driving cars and other advances experts see on the horizon, the arrival of 5G on the gridiron could be an early proving ground for the costly, new technology.
“It’s the start of journey, and 5G is a big enabler,” Vestberg said in an interview. “We’re bringing new experiences to the seats, and we’ll see that this is how the fans will enjoy football in the future.”
The NFL and Verizon, the largest U.S. wireless carrier, are working together to create 5G-enhanced services for fans attending games. The exclusive collaboration was announced in March. No terms were disclosed.
“We’re always trying to improve the experience, not only on TV but in and around stadiums,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said in an interview. With greater video capacity and less lag time, 5G will let fans inside and outside the stadium be engaged in games without having to rely on the scoreboard, Goodell said.
Stadium Demos
For most fans, Verizon’s demonstration areas at the stadiums will be the best place to view 5G services, Vestberg said. Few consumers have the new phones needed to exploit the faster data speeds, and current 4G models don’t have the necessary capabilities.
Verizon’s 5G stadiums include those of the Seattle Seahawks, Denver Broncos, Detroit Lions, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, Carolina Panthers, New York Giants and Jets, Baltimore Ravens, Houston Texans, and Minnesota Vikings.
AT&T plans to showcase four 5G experiences at the Cowboys’ Sunday season opener against the New York Giants. The demos include interactive videos with some Dallas players.
Airwaves Needed
The arrival of nationwide 5G networks is still a year or two away. In fact, many of the airwaves needed to support the next generation of wireless advances have yet to be licensed.
To contact the reporters on this story: Scott Moritz in New York at smoritz6@bloomberg.net;Scott Soshnick in New York at ssoshnick@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net, Rob Golum
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