Unlocking the Future of Live Event Streaming with 5G ONE4HDD

Christophe Burdinat, Director – Technology and Standards, Ateme

The way we experience live events is evolving rapidly, and as we push the boundaries of what’s possible, seamless, high-quality connectivity is becoming non-negotiable. The 5G ONE4HDD project set out to explore how 5G broadcast technology can enhance fan engagement, providing a reliable and scalable solution for live event streaming in high-demand environments.

At Ateme, we’ve long been at the forefront of innovation in video delivery, and working alongside our consortium partners on this DSIT-funded initiative has been an incredible opportunity to test new capabilities and assess real-world feasibility. Over the course of just 18 months, the project has taken us from technical exploration to live demonstrations at major events, such as the UK Superbikes final at Brands Hatch. The insights gained will be instrumental in shaping the future of media distribution.

The Challenge: Bringing Live Video to Every Fan

The core objective of 5G ONE4HDD was to enable a light, deployable ‘Cell on Wheels’ capable of delivering a reliable, point-to-multipoint network for large-scale events. We focused on scenarios where traditional connectivity falls short—whether due to venue size or high audience density.

A prime example is motorsport. At a race like MotoGP, fans at the circuit only see brief glimpses of the action unless there are strategically placed screens or a dedicated app streaming live footage. Our tests at Brands Hatch confirmed the appetite for such a solution, particularly in venues that lack extensive fixed infrastructure. While Tier 1 venues have invested in Wi-Fi and 5G upgrades, there is significant interest in lightweight, easily deployable alternatives like the 5G ONE4HDD solution.

Evaluating the Right Network for the Job

Delivering seamless live video to mobile devices in high-density environments requires a robust, scalable technology. Our focus was on two main approaches:

5G Multicast Broadcast Service (5MBS) – A 3GPP-standardised feature in Release-17, which enables efficient point-to-multipoint distribution.
5G Terrestrial Broadcast (LTE-based 5G Broadcast) – A more mature option that allows broadcasters to serve mobile users from their own infrastructure.

Device compatibility remains the primary hurdle for mobile broadcasting. 5MBS, while promising, is not yet supported in commercial smartphones, making its near-term viability uncertain. In contrast, 5G Broadcast is gaining momentum, particularly in Europe, where broadcasters have united under a memorandum of understanding. The large-scale trials conducted by TDF during the Olympics demonstrated its potential.

Given these factors, 5G Broadcast emerged as the most viable candidate for our live demonstrations, complementing previous work in the 5G-VISTA project, where smartphone receivers showcased the full potential of the technology. However, widespread adoption will hinge on smartphone manufacturers integrating 5G Broadcast capabilities—a development we eagerly anticipate.

Monetisation and Service Resilience: The Key to Success

Beyond connectivity, the success of 5G ONE4HDD hinges on how services are structured and monetised. The shift from traditional broadcast to IP-based distribution opens up exciting possibilities, particularly with Hybrid Adaptive Streaming (HAS) technology. This approach enables:

Unicast Repair for Robustness – Broadcast transmissions can be lossy, especially when serving handheld mobile devices. By enabling devices to request missing data via a broadband connection, we can enhance service continuity and improve reliability, even when viewers move outside the broadcast coverage area.
Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) – Monetisation is key to commercial viability. HAS allows targeted advertising to be seamlessly integrated into the viewing experience. While broadband-based DAI relies on server-side ad insertion, multicast/broadcast requires server-guided ad insertion (SGAI), where ad placement opportunities are embedded in the content and resolved on the client side.
Low-Latency Video Delivery – For live sports and entertainment, minimising latency is critical. In 5G ONE4HDD, we leveraged the ROUTE protocol—originally specified for ATSC 3.0—to deliver a real-time experience while maintaining the flexibility of IP-based distribution.

Looking Ahead: Enabling the Next Generation of Live Streaming

5G ONE4HDD has provided a unique platform to explore these advanced use cases and refine our service layer. While smartphone prototypes for 5G Broadcast are still limited in their ability to support parallel broadband connectivity, we are eager to see these capabilities mature and become commercially viable.

For Ateme, this project has reinforced the importance of a flexible, scalable approach to live video distribution. The ability to monetise content through targeted advertising, combined with the robustness offered by hybrid unicast repair, will be crucial for successful deployment.

As the industry moves forward, we remain committed to driving innovation in live event streaming, ensuring that fans everywhere can stay connected to the action—no matter where they are in the venue. The future of broadcast is evolving, and 5G ONE4HDD is paving the way for a more immersive and accessible experience for all.

5G ONE4HDD enhances fan experience at England's victory over Japan at Twickenham

England's rugby team delivered an impressive 59-14 win against Japan in the final game of the Autumn Nations Series at Twickenham on Sunday, and the innovative 5G ONE4HDD Cell on Wheels (COW) ensured fans stayed connected to the action.

The COW provided cutting-edge connectivity, enabling fans to enjoy enhanced mobile streaming and robust network performance from O2’s Blueroom during the game. Highlights from England’s victory included tries from Ben Earl, Sam Underhill, and Marcus Smith's stellar 14-point contribution. Japan fought valiantly, with standout tries from Naoto Saito and Kazuki Himeno.

The deployment of the ONE4HDD COW showcased the potential of 5G technology to transform fan experiences at live events, combining reliable connectivity with immersive engagement. This marks another milestone in the project’s mission to optimise mobile networks in high-demand settings.

Check out some of the highlights from the day below, including behind-the-scenes pics of the COW in action and the vibrant O2 Blueroom setup.

ONE4HDD Achieves Major Milestone with Final 5G Demonstration at UK Superbikes Final

The ONE4HDD consortium is excited to announce the successful conclusion of its final demonstration at the UK Superbikes final at Brands Hatch. This groundbreaking event built on the progress of previous demonstrations, showcasing the rapid deployment and high-performance capabilities of a fully UK-built 5G mobile network.

Key Wins:

Rapid Deployment of 5G Network: The ONE4HDD consortium successfully deployed its 'Cell on Wheels' (CoW), featuring a fully UK-built 5G network, in under 30 minutes. This rapid setup enabled high-bandwidth 5G data capacity in a densely populated live event. Customer experience testing from the day revealed that existing mobile networks struggled to cope with demand, while the ONE4HDD network delivered a seamless experience for fans.
End-to-End 5G Broadcast in UHF Spectrum: The consortium deployed a complete 5G Broadcast network in UHF spectrum, supported by a custom-built mobile app. Handsets were kindly provided by TDF in France and made by Xiaomi to support 5G Broadcast specially for the Paris Olympics. Fans used the app to access live race footage when the bikes were out of sight, track real-time stats and running orders, and watch interviews during event breaks, enhancing their overall experience of the race.
Interactive Audio Innovation: The project successfully demonstrated the integration of MPEG-H interactive audio into the 5G Broadcast application. Fans had access to supplementary audio options, such as multi-language commentary, personalised audio settings, and enhanced dialogue for greater accessibility, providing a richer, more customisable viewing experience.
Commercial appetite: During the event, an independent consumer panel tested the ONE4HDD 5G Broadcast application, providing invaluable feedback on the user experience. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive, with participants praising the app for keeping them “close to the action” even when the bikes were out of sight.

The consumer research highlights strong demand for the ONE4HDD solution, with participants praising its ability to enhance race visibility and engagement. Users found the app intuitive, seamlessly complementing their live viewing experience by providing access to out-of-sight areas of the track and additional race data. The audio commentary was noted for adding clarity to the action, with many triallists expressing a willingness to pay for the service as part of an upgraded ticket package. The overwhelmingly positive response points to clear commercial potential for wider adoption across motorsport and other live events.

The system's success in managing the intense demand for mobile data, which outstripped the venue’s existing mobile infrastructure, is a major achievement for the consortium and a leap forward in proving the commercial viability of 5G in High Demand Density (HDD) settings such as sports events, festivals, and concerts.

Alex Buchan, CTO, Digital TV Group, said: "This final demonstration of ONE4HDD is a fantastic culmination of months of innovation and collaboration. We've shown that 5G can dramatically improve the fan experience at live events by ensuring uninterrupted access to high-quality content. We’re proud to have led such a forward-looking consortium, and this is only the beginning for what we can achieve with 5G in the media industry. The project has been made possible thanks to funding from DSIT as part of the future networks programme which has provided the opportunity to unlock commercial impasses and drive this innovative technology towards live deployments."

DSIT used the event to create its own showcase video case study of the project, interviewing the consortium partners and capturing ONE4HDD in action. You can view it here.

David Owens, Head of Technical Trials, Virgin Media O2: "Virgin Media O2 is proud to be at the forefront of trialling innovative 5G solutions. The success of this final demonstration shows how quickly 5G networks can be deployed, and how they can offer high-bandwidth, high-quality connectivity in even the busiest environments. This is a game-changer for the events industry."

Christophe Burdinat, Director – Technology and Standards, Ateme: "Our technology has played a key role in ensuring the seamless compression and broadcast of video content to attendees. This demonstration proved the power of 5G Broadcast in creating immersive experiences. We're excited to see how this technology will transform content delivery at live events globally."

Kevin Zemrowsky, Technical Director, Imaginary Pictures: "Our team provided the critical interface between practical live production and this advanced R&D project, bringing the action closer to the fans. This real-world demonstration of live video capture and streaming using 5G Broadcast is a major step forward, proving what’s possible for event broadcasting."

Dr Mohammad Shojafar, Associate Professor in Network Security, University of Surrey: "With 5G, ensuring secure and reliable data transmission is critical. Our work on the security aspects of the multicast/broadcast network in this project ensures that both privacy and performance can be achieved in the field. We are excited about the future potential for 5G’s impact on secure group communications."

ONE4HDD will next be deployed at Twickenham on November 24^th for the final match of the Autumn Nations Series 2024 – England v Japan.

Final System Shake-Down at the British Drone Racing Association UK 2024 Championships

The British Drone Racing Association (BDRA) held its UK 2024 Championships at the British Model Flying Association headquarters in Buckminster. During this event, the One4HDD project conducted its final system shake-down, successfully proving the technology, systems and deployment processes..

The temporary site deployment, of our Cell On wheels, showcased all the essential elements needed to deliver a high-quality 2G/4G/5G service, with a particular focus on a premium 5G multicast broadcast service, proving the ability to stream live video directly from a camera to viewers' mobile devices at the event getting fans closer to the action. A number of key factors were put to the test, including 5G video services and conducting Customer Experience Testing (CET).

This follows the announcement on 17th June regarding our system shake-down at the Weston Park International Airshow. At that event, the ONE4HDD project successfully demonstrated its 'drive-in and deploy' 5G solution in real-time.

The Weston Park demonstration proved that the mobile system could be driven to a high-density event, set up, and be ready to broadcast in just a few hours. This milestone brings the project closer to future technical and consumer trials, where we will refine the 4G and 5G elements and deploy the Customer Experience Testing equipment.

The end-to-end technical shake-down included key components from consortium partners, including Ateme, DTG, Imaginary Pictures, VMO2, the University of Surrey, and our suppliers. The production vehicle provided by Imaginary Pictures was fitted with production and master control systems for camera inputs, and Ateme's technology handled video and audio compression, ultimately looking to deliver a multicast broadcast service.

ATS Group supplied the transmission vehicle, equipped with a 4.5KVA generator, a battery backup system, Starlink internet connectivity, and a mast supporting both 4G and 5G mobile network solutions. Virgin Media O2, who also provides technical leadership for the project, developed the mobile application that allowed event attendees to receive the broadcast, while Wavemobile delivered the crucial 4G and 5G radio solution.

Connecting crowds enhancing experiences…