In the pro sports world, 5G is expected to help leagues and teams entice more fans to buy tickets for live games, and give them more ways to engage fans even when they watch from home.
With 4G, when huge groups of people are in one place, the network gets congested and wireless speeds suffer. But 5G is expected to be around 100 times faster than the existing 4G network, and be able to handle hundreds more connected devices without slowing down. For that to work, hundreds of cell boxes need to be placed in a relatively small area, because 5G signals don't travel very far and struggle to move through hard surfaces. Verizon invested $80 million to build out 5G in the stadium and around Miami, and to beef up its 4G network so that even fans without 5G devices should experience improved network connection.
For example, another new feature on the OnePass app will help users find their way around the stadium — to their seats, food stalls, bathrooms and more. It's the sort of thing that, eventually, will work even better when everyone is on 5G.It turns out, sports fans really do want a digital experience, even when they're in the stadium.
The possibilities for fan engagement are huge. Imagine being able to aim your cell phone camera at the field and see information about each team's record that season or stats for the athletes who are playing.
Technology hype and the world slowly crumbles into dispair.
Leave football alone.