RAI completes a private aerial 5G connectivity test for production with Haivision

Haivision has provided the technical basis for the proof of concept led by Italian Radio and Television (RAI), in collaboration with France Televisions, Neutral Wireless y Eutelsat, which seeks to provide broadcasters with a private 5G network located in an aerial location so that cameras on the ground can benefit from this deployment in different productions.

Launched in 2019, the program IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme aims to address some of the technological challenges most pressing business challenges in the media and entertainment industry, such as the shift to IP workflows, the use of 5G in production and distribution, the evolution of remote strategies and much more. The program promotes collaboration and innovation through real-world experimentation with the support of broadcasters and technology developers.

In its 2025 edition, Haivision participated in the project “Conquering the Air(waves): Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky”, which consisted of three proofs of concept (PoC) que tuvieron lugar el verano pasado. Tras impulsar con éxito la cobertura de la coronación del rey Carlos desde una red privada 5G terrestre, así como los juegos de París 2024 desde una red privada 5G marítima, Haivision, RAI, France Télévisiones, Neutral Wireless y Eutelsat buscaban llevar el 5G a los cielos y proporcionar a las emisoras alternativas para capturar contenidos y acercar al público a la acción.

Los desafíos de una red 5G privada aérea

Para la primera prueba del proyecto IBC Accelerator, el equipo de Haivision y los socios del proyecto se desplazaron a Italia para crear una célula 5G privada aérea utilizando un dron conectado and a cabezal de radio n77 ligero. The team had to overcome several challenges before even taking off. Among them were the complexity of the spectrum regulations, compliance with the strict drone flight restrictions, the guarantee of a connectivity backhaul reliable and the monitoring weather conditions.

Once these variables were resolved, one of the biggest production challenges was getting a 5G cell It will fly attached to an aerial platform strong enough to support it, but light enough to remain airborne and provide connectivity to devices on the ground. For the drone to fly, the team had to keep its weight below the 50 kilos and keep it connected to a power cable to ensure there was enough flight time to perform the test.

The connected drone was launched to a height of up to 50 meters and provided private 5G connectivity at ground cameras inside a designated drone flight zone. Using this private aerial 5G network, a mobile video transmitter Haivision Falcon X2 5G, a field unit Haivision Pro460 and smartphones equipped with the camera application Haivision MoJoPro They successfully sent live video with ultra-low latency to the central production center.

a receiver Haivisoni StreamHub located on site combined all the live feeds into a single multiviewer video which was then retransmitted over a low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network link using a Haivision Pro460 for distribution to the cloud.

The first conclusions of an initiative still in development

The red 5G aérea allowed the land infrastructure providing multiple live video signals with “excellent quality” and even “better than expected” reach, which made the first proof of concept a great success, in the words of Haivision itself. He test offered valuable information about the performance, range and stability of private air networks, especially in dynamic environments.

In this way, the participating companies demonstrated that the unconventional methods of deploying a private 5G network They can provide unique, “cost-effective and greener” ways to cover dynamic events like trail races, music festivals or breaking news. This is how you define the experience Giulio Stante, R&D engineer RAI: “Durante varios años, el departamento de I+D de la RAI se ha dedicado al análisis de redes móviles 5G privadas para apoyar la producción televisiva. En esta prueba, la RAI identificó una ubicación adecuada cerca de Turín para albergar la prueba de concepto, proporcionando las frecuencias necesarias para el uso de la red 5G privada aérea y el personal técnico para integrar la célula con el dron, así como para llevar a cabo las primeras pruebas preliminares. RAI considera que cada una de estas pruebas es un hito importante en el camino hacia la adopción de esta tecnología en la producción, un avance que esperamos poder adoptar en un futuro muy próximo”.