As 5G becomes more widely available, the high-speed, low-latency benefits of this new generation connectivity will continue to help accelerate the digital revolution.

“It’s much more than just another technology innovation,” said Verizon Chairman and CEO Hans Vestberg, delivering a CES® 2021 keynote. “It’s an innovation platform that makes other innovations possible. It makes things better.”

With the currencies of 5G — which Vestberg had detailed in his CES 2019 keynote — the tech industry can change the sports fan experience, improve video games and revolutionize delivery systems.

Vestberg and Verizon partners shared some of the ways 5G is redefining possibilities.

The NFL Brings Us Closer to the Action

The power of 5G has allowed the NFL to introduce more immersive ways for fans to watch and engage with the game, directly from the stadium or from home. During 2020, as live sports arenas sat empty, the NFL was able to play more than 100 games in front of more than 1 million fans from afar.

Augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) in the new 5G Super Stadium in the NFL app provides up to seven different camera angles for fans to choose from, and viewers can also project virtual players with real time stats. Low-latency capabilities of 5G can also enable real-time analytics for the teams, giving them the ability to learn immediately from their most recent play.

“5G can change how coaches, athletes and fans experience the sports they love and become even closer to the game,” said NFL legend Deion Sanders.

The Smithsonian and the MET Champion Education and Culture

“Through the power of 5G, we can bridge the digital divide for students and learners of all ages, helping everyone experience art and culture in a completely new way,” Vestberg said. Through Verizon Innovative Learning, the team has committed to helping students gain the skills they need.

Historical artifacts housed in museums across the world can now be made available to students worldwide through AR/VR powered by high-bandwidth 5G. Two museums are showing this in action.

The Smithsonian: The museum’s Race, Community and our Shared Future Initiative showcases collections of 3D artifacts for people anywhere to get close to the art, move around it, and learn the history behind each piece. Objects from Girlhood, It’s Complicated — a collection commemorating women’s suffrage and how women changed history — and Play Ball, which shows how Latino communities changed the game of baseball, will be on display.

The Metropolitan Museum of Art: Four thematic 3D spaces at the MET enabled by Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband called the MET Unframed, is set to bring unique renderings of the art alongside educational games.

Skyward and UPS Make Smart Cities and Delivery Possible

As cities become smarter and more connected, 5G capabilities can fuel new innovations that make life more efficient and convenient. For example, Skyward’s aviation development center leverages Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband to manage their drones safely and integrate into communities. With the ultra-low latency, security, and capacity of 5G, the Skyward team can coordinate fleets of drones remotely, deliver packages and more.

At UPS, they’re leveraging the technology to help the healthcare industry reduce time and transit for vital items like lab specimens and life-saving medication.

“We continue to test new concepts that will make [5G] more accessible and effective for specialized deliveries,” said UPS CEO Carol Tome.

Live Nation Transforms Concertgoing

In the live music and events industry, Verizon has partnered with industry leader Live Nation to transform the Wiltern in Los Angeles into the first 5G Ultra Wideband-enabled music club.
With a multi-cam experience,  a 360-degree portal experience and crowd management solutions, this is a new way for remote audiences to feel immersed in events farther away.

Verizon 5G technology can fuel technologies to create digital twins of the artists for a full-length AR/VR music video, so fans can feel connected with their favorite artists, up close.

Verizon and its partners are excited about the possibilities of 5G still to come, but for Vestberg, it’s more than the innovation.

“In the end, this network is all about something timeless, the human need to connect, to reach out, to share our stories, and to hear the stories of others,” he said. “My hope [for 5G] is we will use it for good, for learning, for sharing, for growing, for community building and finding ways to reap the greatest outcomes for everyone in our society.”