Latest / The 5G Podcast with Fexingo: Wireless Networks, Carriers, and Mobile Infrastructure / How 5G Is Quietly Transforming the Concert Experience
Transcript
- Lucas: If you've been to a big concert recently, you know the drill. You try to send a video to a friend, and it just spins. The network is completely slammed. But there's a growing movement to fix that with 5G — and it's not just about faster uploads. Luna: I've definitely been that person holding my phone up, waiting for a photo to send. So what's changing? Lucas: Let's look at a specific case. On Coldplay's 2025 world tour, they partnered with a mobile network operator to deploy a private 5G network inside each stadium. This wasn't just boosting the public macro network — it was a dedicated, localized 5G system with its own small cells and edge compute. Luna: Private 5G inside a venue — that's a big lift. How many people were they supporting? Lucas: Up to 40,000 simultaneous users in some shows. And they measured something like 99.9 percent success rate on data sessions. No spinning wheel of death. Fans could upload video, order merch, even access an augmented reality layer that showed lyrics floating above the stage. Luna: That AR layer sounds like a gimmick to me. Is there a real business case beyond the cool factor? Lucas: Absolutely. The venue operator reported a measurable increase in concession sales because people could order from their seats via an app and pick up without queuing. They also saw higher engagement with sponsored AR filters — that's direct revenue. And the network itself is becoming a new revenue stream: venues can charge for premium connectivity packages. Luna: So the network isn't just an amenity, it's a profit center. I can see why stadiums are interested. Lucas: Right. And the technical backbone is network slicing. The 5G standard allows an operator to carve out a virtual slice of the network dedicated to the venue, with guaranteed bandwidth and low latency. That slice is isolated from the public network, so a spike in general traffic doesn't affect the concert experience. Luna: That's the kind of reliability you need when 40,000 people are all trying to post at the same time. Lucas: Exactly. And the latency requirement for the AR — lyrics synced to the music — is in the range of 20 milliseconds. That's where 5G's ultra-reliable low-latency communication, or URLLC, comes in. It's baked into the standard. Luna: What about the cost? Deploying a private 5G network inside an existing stadium can't be cheap. Lucas: It's not trivial. You need small cells, fiber backhaul, edge servers, and integration with the venue's existing Wi-Fi and point of sale systems. But the operators are starting to offer turnkey packages — they'll install and manage the network in exchange for a share of the connectivity revenue or a flat fee. Some venues are even using CBRS spectrum in the US, which is shared and lower cost. Luna: Speaking of costs, I'm glad we can bring you this kind of deep dive without ads. Lucas: Yeah, it's something I'm genuinely grateful for. A handful of listeners chip in monthly through buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo, and that's literally what funds making this many of these episodes possible. Luna: It keeps us independent and lets us go deep on stuff like private 5G slicing without worrying about sponsors. Lucas: Exactly. And that independence matters when we're talking about who's really deploying these networks. The Coldplay tour was powered by a partnership with a major carrier, but there are also startups offering private 5G as a service for events. Luna: So it's not just the big telcos — there's a whole ecosystem emerging. Lucas: Right. Companies like Celona and Druid Software have platforms that let venues spin up a private 5G network in days. They provide the radios, the core network software, and the management dashboard. One festival in the UK used a pop-up private 5G network to support 25,000 attendees over a weekend. Luna: Pop-up 5G — that's a phrase I hadn't heard before. How does that work logistically? Lucas: They bring in a trailer with a base station and a satellite backhaul link. The small cells are mounted on temporary poles or existing structures. The network is configured with a slice that prioritizes the event app and point of sale traffic. After the event, everything is packed up and moved to the next location. Luna: So it's almost like a portable private network. That's a huge shift from the old model of renting extra Wi-Fi hotspots. Lucas: Huge shift. And the performance difference is stark. Wi-Fi in a stadium is contention-based — the more people connect, the slower it gets for everyone. 5G with network slicing gives each user a guaranteed bitrate. In the Coldplay case, each user got an average of 10 megabits per second, enough for HD video uploads. Luna: What about the artists themselves? Do they use the network for anything? Lucas: Great question. Some tours are using the private 5G network for real-time monitoring of stage equipment, wireless in-ear monitors for musicians, and even camera feeds for the video screens. That's traditionally been done with dedicated RF links or wired connections, but 5G offers more flexibility and lower cost. Luna: So the same network that serves the fans also serves the production crew. That's efficient. Lucas: It is. And it's not just concerts. Sports stadiums are adopting this model too. The new SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles has a distributed antenna system that's 5G-ready, but the next generation of venues is going straight to private 5G. Luna: I've read that the global market for private 5G in stadiums and venues could reach $2 billion by 2030. That seems plausible given the revenue upside. Lucas: Plausible, yeah. And there's a regulatory angle too. The FCC has been opening up more spectrum for shared use, including the 3.5 GHz band for CBRS. That makes it easier for venues to deploy their own networks without needing a carrier partnership. Luna: Do you see any downsides? Like, could this create a digital divide where only premium venues have great connectivity? Lucas: That's a real concern. Smaller venues, independent festivals, and community theaters probably can't afford a private 5G deployment. The cost is still high, though it's coming down. But there's a middle ground: some regional carriers are offering '5G as a service' for events, where you pay per event rather than a capital investment. Luna: That could democratize it. pay per event, like cloud computing. Lucas: Exactly. And the technology is improving fast. The 3GPP Release 17 and 18 standards introduced features like enhanced network slicing and reduced capability NR — that's a lighter version of 5G for IoT devices. So we'll see cheaper small cells and simpler deployment tools. Luna: What about the fan experience beyond ordering drinks? Any other use cases that have caught your eye? Lucas: Yes — real-time crowd analytics. With the private 5G network, venue operators can track foot traffic using anonymized location data from the network itself, not from phone GPS. That allows them to predict congestion at concession stands, restrooms, and exits. They can send push notifications to fans: 'The north restroom has a short line right now.' Luna: That's the kind of subtle improvement that actually makes a difference. Less time in line, more time enjoying the show. Lucas: And there's a security angle too. In an emergency, first responders can get priority access to the network. Network slicing can reserve a slice for public safety with guaranteed bandwidth. That's a big selling point for venue owners. Luna: So it's not just about convenience — it's about safety and operational efficiency. Lucas: Right. And we're still early. Most concerts today still rely on overloaded Wi-Fi or cellular. But the Coldplay tour was a proof of concept that worked at scale. I expect we'll see more tours and venues adopt private 5G over the next two to three years. Luna: From a business perspective, the ROI seems clear: better fan experience, more revenue, and a new asset for the venue. The main barrier is upfront cost and complexity. Lucas: And that's where the service model comes in. If an operator can deploy a private 5G network for a weekend festival and charge a per-user fee, it becomes a variable cost instead of a capital expense. That's a game changer for smaller events. Luna: I'm curious about the artist perspective. Do musicians see the network as a creative tool? Lucas: Some are starting to. There's a band called The Smile that experimented with audience participation via 5G — fans could control lighting effects from their phones. The low latency made it feel instantaneous. That's the kind of interactive experience that wasn't possible before. Luna: So 5G isn't just improving the concert, it's changing what a concert can be. Lucas: Exactly. The network becomes part of the performance. I think we'll see more artists and venues embracing that, especially as the technology gets cheaper and easier to deploy. Luna: It's a fascinating shift from the old model where you had to turn off your phone during the show. Lucas: Right. Now the phone is becoming a seamless part of the experience — not a distraction, but an enhancement. And 5G is the backbone that makes that possible.