5G: A NEW DAWN OF CONNECTIVITY GE AR .
prepare for tomorrow’s scene – all with essentially zero latency. “If we can find ways of making the flow of information as efficient and seamless as possible, it only greases the wheels of creativity.” AND WE’RE LIVE! Much of the current discussion about 5G within the industry is educated speculation, but few have actually tested the new tech’s mettle. One project that has is Live + Wild, a consortium of Candour Productions, AQL and MTN Safety. “The 5G network we are using is a mobile mast rigged onto the back of a Land Rover, enabling us to take it wherever we go,” explains Patricia Doherty, project leader for Live + Wild. “We explained to AQL early on that we’re documentary filmmakers, completely at the mercy of weather, and often as remote as it gets. We need 5G to be so agile and resilient. “The piece of kit between the camera and the mast is a LiveU unit, effectively an OB truck in a rucksack. Camera ops can wear them on their backs, and are hard- wired into the cameras with an SDI cable. That’s what connects to the 5G signal. “Because there isn’t a complete 5G network around the country, our backhaul is a combination of
“We explained to AQL early on that we’re documentary filmmakers, completely at the mercy of weather, and often as remote as it gets. We need 5G to be so agile and resilient”
4G and 3G,” Doherty continues. “Low Earth orbit satellites would certainly help with that.” Unsurprisingly – particularly at this early stage – there have been some limitations, but initial results are promising. “Signal and quality vary over time, though not wildly. We’re also investigating the impact of weather, and know that 5G requires line of sight. While filming climbers on a sea cliff, we encountered an obvious line-of-sight issue, but altered our workflow and used leaky feeders – heavy cables that can transmit the 5G signal through rock. You need to think creatively around 5G, but hopefully what we’re doing here will help people plan the logistics. “We’re at about the halfway point in testing, so it’s hard to draw a full conclusion yet. An end-to-end workflow can’t be trialled without a full 5G chain, but we can do preliminary tests at the front end to see how much faster upload speeds are. In theory, it’s going to be a huge asset for filmmakers.”
The lack of physical media required to begin an edit appeals to Doherty – and streaming is at the forefront of her mind. “In terms of using multiple cameras, where they’re all fighting for the same bandwidth, 5G is reassuring. We’ve been using four cameras simultaneously, and I think a comfortable rate is around 6Mb per camera.” Doherty’s conclusion may temper excitement to some degree, but it paints an honest picture of the current state of play. “Anything contingent on 5G obviously needs it to be rolled out widely. That’s out of filmmakers’ control. In the meantime, however, it’s really useful to discover what this new network will do. “The take-home is that we need to start exploring now. The technology on its own can’t create content – it’s about innovating around what’s available. “To start with, you need to know the limitations of 5G. Then the lateral thinking comes – that’s going to make a difference.”
Out of this world Providers like Starlink, a division of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, are utilising satellites positioned in a low Earth orbit (LEO) to deliver wireless connectivity around the world. Like traditional satellites, they link with ground-based antennae, but due to their proximity to Earth, they offer far lower latency. LEOs will be crucial in supplying a 5G signal around the world, stretching beyond the limits of small cell – over land, air and sea.
51. DECEMBER 2021
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