5G and Professional Live Audio Production?

Abstract:

Professional wireless audio equipment such as microphones and in-ear-monitoring systems are popular among live musicians and performers due to their beneficial flexibility and mobility. Artists have very high technical requirements for these devices e.g., regarding transmission delay, reliability, and battery runtime. In addition, cost, efficient use of scarcely available spectrum, and related scaling factors play a major role in professional audio productions. As of today, the entirety of technical requirements under given constraints can only be met with highly optimized custom RF technology. The new generation of mobile technology 5G is targeted to deliver new ultra-reliable low latency communication (URLLC) use cases like forementioned audio scenarios. On-going activities are exploring and evaluating 5G technology and related eco systems in the context of professional live audio productions to answer the question if requirements can be met and to understand relevant economic trade-offs. This talk will present some recent results from a state-of-the-art 5G testbed.