CelcomDigi, U Mobile and ZTE Achieve 5G-A Live Broadcast for Malaysia Games

Sukma (Sukan Malaysia or Malaysia Games) is a biennial sporting event and the highest-level competition in Malaysia. Covering all states and federal territories, it brings together top athletes from all over the country and attracts global attention. It is also known as the "Mini Olympic Games” of Malaysia. In Sukma 2024, Malaysian mobile network operators CelcomDigi and U Mobile, together with ZTE, launched a 5G-A wireless live broadcast solution, enabling a high-quality, multi-perspective, and highly interactive live broadcast of the opening ceremony and the sports games through national broadcaster Radio Televisyen Malaysia (RTM). This marked the world's first commercial use of 5G-A for event wireless live broadcasting.

Sukma 2024: World's First 5G-A Wireless Sports Broadcast

On August 17, 2024, the highly anticipated Sukma 2024 opened at Stadium Sarawak. RTM, CelcomDigi, U Mobile and ZTE jointly launched the "5G-A minimalist private network wireless live broadcast" solution, which successfully guaranteed high-quality live broadcast throughout the entire event.

At Stadium Sarawak, which accommodates 40,000 spectators, the solution deployed four 5G-A AAUs, providing full-venue signal coverage for two high-definition wireless live broadcast cameras. During the opening ceremony and subsequent live broadcasts, the two wireless cameras were deployed flexibly throughout the stadium, and videographers quickly positioned themselves as needed to ensure timely, accurate and efficient shot capture. The live camera feed was wirelessly sent back to the BBU, locally diverted by NodeEngine on the base station, and directly transmitted to the local OB Van. The overall solution achieved the shortest end-to-end data transmission, ensuring low latency performance and data security. It has effectively improved the experience for multiple parties, as outlined below:

Enhanced Viewing: Improving Online & Offline Experience

Online audiences can enjoy multi-angle live broadcasts, close-up camera interactions as well as stable mixing via 5G-A wireless cameras. Meanwhile, global audiences could use VR to "teleport" into the stadium, immersing themselves in the best perspective. On-site audiences benefited from high-speed data and seamless large-screen viewing, supported by a reliable network. 5G-A technology successfully provided wireless support for diverse cameras with varying specifications, resolutions, and transmission speeds. This integration with different equipment enabled novel perspective capture, scene exploration, and dynamic shot interactions, delivering a more immersive and engaging experience to all viewers. The active sharing and discussion on social media boosted audience viewership.

Enhanced Application Experience: New Perspectives for Premium Live Broadcasts

At Sukma 2024, RTM enhanced both deployment efficiency and the broadcasting experience through 5G-A. The wireless solution simplified on-site camera deployment while enabling camera operators to move freely throughout the venue. Videographers achieved precise shot capture while delivering compelling live broadcasts. Compared to traditional wired solutions, the wireless approach significantly improved operational convenience, filming safety, and  live broadcast image quality. The flexibility of wireless cameras enabled the capture of many iconic shots during the event. The enhanced interactivity was well received by the audience, and the video quality, along with seamless integration with wired feeds, was highly recognized by RTM.

Enhanced Efficiency: Flexible and Reusable Deployment

After successful docking tests in the early stage, the on-site 5G-A deployment was completed in just one day. The solution is self-sustained and requires no changes to the existing network, greatly reducing the construction period and manpower investment. In terms of network deployment, the comprehensive 5G-A solution achieved a 36% reduction in labor costs, a 23% decrease in deployment cycles, and a 67% increase in equipment reusability. This represents a new application paradigm for live sports broadcasts, enhancing both efficiency and sustainability in event-based infrastructure.

As the first post-COVID Sukma, the 2024 event carried heightened expectations for a full return to pre-pandemic scale. The 5G-A wireless live broadcast solution successfully presented high-quality live broadcasts of sports events to audiences around the world, providing a new, high-reliability commercial solution for live broadcasts of sports events. It also offered new directions for the future evolution of the live broadcast industry. Official data revealed a remarkable surge in Sukma viewership: the total audience across TV and social media platforms reached 85 million, marking an increase of 32.66% from the previous event. The video presentation effect and flexible mobility advantages were highly recognized by event organizers, broadcasters, athletes, and on-site audiences.

Shaping the Future of Sports Broadcasting with 5G-A

The journey of wireless transformation has been gradual, and using communication technology to drive industry development has always been ZTE's goal. When traditional wired solutions couldn’t meet business requirements, and previous attempts with 4G, Wi-Fi, and conventional 5G for wireless transformation fell short, ZTE turned to 5G-A millimeter wave (mmWave), which offers large bandwidth and low latency. At the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, ZTE used 5G-A technology to improve the image quality and stability of wireless live broadcasts. During the 2024 CCTV Spring Festival Gala, the 5G-A minimalist private network wireless production and broadcasting solution guaranteed stable live broadcasts with multiple cameras. At Sukma 2024, ZTE further optimized its technical solution to achieve full-field roaming of multiple wireless cameras across large outdoor venues. Throughout the 6-hour opening ceremony and 7 days of event live broadcasts (12 hours per day), it delivered multi-perspective, highly interactive, and high-quality live coverage.

The global sports broadcasting technology  market is experiencing explosive growth, projected to surge from $75.14 billion in 2023 to $114.21 billion by 2030. During the Paris Olympics, telecommunications technology demonstrated enormous potential in enhancing spectator experiences and innovating viewing modes, introducing new application scenarios and visual perspectives to live broadcasting. As the market expand, audiences are raising expectations for live experiences, further promoting the integrated application of new technologies in sports event broadcasting. It can be foreseen that using communication technology to enable wireless production and broadcasting of events will be a key direction for the future of live sports event broadcasting.

In response to the growing demand for wireless live event broadcasting, 5G-A has proved to be a perfect solution. ZTE will continue to deepen its involvement in the media production and broadcasting industry, driving development and innovation, enabling business applications and transformation, and bringing new possibilities to global users.