At this year’s Rio Carnival, Clear-Com and Brazilian systems integrator Savana Comunicações conducted a proof of concept to demonstrate how cellular-based intercom can provide reliable, wide-area communications for broadcast teams operating in demanding live production environments.
Four FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks were deployed during live Carnival coverage at the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome, giving camera operators and reporters the freedom to move throughout the venue while maintaining communication with production teams.
The four beltpacks were deployed across three days of Carnival broadcasts. During the first two days, camera operators used the beltpacks while moving throughout the Sambadrome. On the third day, the units supported IFB and return communication for reporters.
The pre-launch field trial also involved an Eclipse HX digital matrix running an EHX software version supporting FreeSpeak Cell.
The initial deployment utilised a dedicated network slice provided by Brazilian telecommunications operator TIM.
Additional testing was also conducted using the standard public cellular network without network slicing. Even while sharing the network with other attendees, the FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks continued to perform successfully, said Clear-Com.
“This deployment gave us an opportunity to put FreeSpeak Cell through its paces in a particularly demanding live production environment,” said João Pedro Machado Homem, CTO at Savana Comunicações. “The results demonstrated the potential of cellular intercom to give broadcast teams greater freedom to move while maintaining the reliable communications workflows they depend on. It is an exciting application of cellular technology for professional production communications.”
