The operator says this will be the UK’s first broadcast on a standalone 5G network.
Vodafone is partnering up with broadcasting firm ITN to dedicate a slice of Vodafone’s public 5G SA network for the broadcast of the coronation of Charles III, which is scheduled to take place next Saturday, 6 May 2023.
The network will be used to transfer live coronation broadcast coverage from Westminster to ITN’s HQ newsroom in Gray’s Inn Road, London, where it will then be shared across the country and worldwide.
The broadcast will use network slicing, a new capability enabled by 5G SA which allows telecoms operators to create separate and isolated networks for different use cases. Each slice can be configured differently. As they are isolated from each other, the performance of one would not impact another.
“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,” says Jon Roberts, Director of Television, Production and Innovation at ITN. “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.”
