By James Blackman

The KymiRing motorsports venue in Finland is to get its own private 5G network to augment media streaming and television broadcast services, as well as to help with testing autonomous and connected vehicles. Local private networking specialist Edzcom has been appointed to manage the installation. Edzcom is using Nokia for the edge network and computing infrastructure.

KymiRing, situated 110 kilometres northeast of Helsinki, claims to be the largest “motorsports and events” venue in Northern Europe. The new 5G network, to be finished before the year is out, will cover the entire 180-hectare site. Nokia said the deployment, which will make use of its Digital Automation Cloud (DAC) edge package, is for “industrial-grade” 5G.

It said the network will evolve to incorporate ultra-reliable low-latency communications (URLLC) with forthcoming releases of the 5G NR standard. The default use case, it said, is for international broadcasting of motorsports, including major Grand Prix motorcycle racing events. “The capacity and speed of the network will enable unprecedented televising techniques for motorsport,” said a joint-statement from Edzcom and Nokia.

The capacity and latency afforded by the new network will bring a new “spectator experience”, and also benefit broadcast companies. “The reliability of the wireless network is business critical. Effective connections are needed for no-delay and real-time monitoring, as well as various enterprise resource planning systems, robotics and automation,” said the press note.

The other use case, for “safe and secure” vehicle testing, will also extend to track-side communications and data transfers for racing teams. “The industrial-grade 5G technology network at KymiRing will offer an efficient and safe testing environment to develop autonomous and connected vehicles and software… We will be able to deliver sensor data via the network directly to any destination in the world, while testing in even demanding conditions.”

Chief executive at KymiRing, Markku Pietilä commented: “With this network investment we will have the capacity to broadcast a live stream of numerous racers at the same time. Nothing on the track will remain beyond coverage and everything can be monitored and controlled in real time.”

He added: “We see this as a springboard to build our digital business and develop new services… Big events generally require an enormous stake from production companies, who arrive with truckloads of cables and support technology. Thanks to network improvements, the infrastructure is completed significantly faster as most of the technology is available on site.”

General manager for enterprise solutions in Nokia’s cloud and network services business, Stephan Litjens said: “Motorsport has a long legacy of being at the forefront of technology innovation… Implementing 5G will enhance the testing environment for automotive teams and radically transform the viewing experience for fans and spectators.

Vice president for industry sector sales at Edzcom, Jouko Tuppurainen said: “We have experience in providing connectivity solutions for stadiums in Europe and complex industrial-class network implementations alike and will leverage our unique expertise in private networks in this project. The project has strict requirements, and we naturally expect a great deal from this co-operation. A network of this magnitude has to be built together, and I believe that we will also develop services collaboratively in the future, too.“

Fast-growing Spanish infrastructure company Cellnex Telecom acquired Edzcom for an undisclosed fee in July last year.