UK broadcaster ITN is employing a public 5G Standalone network to power its coverage of King Charles’s Coronation this weekend.
ITN is working with Vodafone on the project, which will be the first time in the UK a public 5G Standalone (5G SA) network is used for a broadcast.
Vodafone has worked with ITN to dedicate a slice of Vodafone’s public 5G SA network for the broadcast of the Coronation – the first time any UK telco has provided a slice of its public 5G SA network for a major event broadcast.
ITN will use the network to transfer coverage of the Coronation from Westminster to ITN’s HQ newsroom in Gray’s Inn Road, London.
The testing of whether the project would be possible was supported by Vodafone’s technology partner Ericsson and ITN’s technology partner LiveU.
It was carried out at Vodafone and Coventry University’s 5G SA Media Innovation Lab in Coventry – the first of its kind in the UK.
Speaking about the plans for the Coronation, Jon Roberts, director of television, production and innovation at ITN, said: “It feels fitting that 70 years on from the 1953 Coronation, itself a milestone in outside broadcasting, ITN will be delivering coverage to audiences around the world while trialling the future of cellular connectivity.
“We are proud of our role in broadcasting this historic event, and excited to be blazing a trail in partnership with Vodafone as we explore the capabilities of 5G SA technology together.”
