T-Mobile will be providing a variety of 5G-enabled apps and experiences during the MLB All-Star week at its namesake stadium, T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Among the applications:
- MLB Next: Fans at the T-Mobile Home Run Derby and the All-Star Game will have access to an augmented reality (AR) app that will overlay the screen with ball distance, launch angle and interactive strike zone and will give attendees the ability to replay pitches. The feature can be accessed on the carrier’s network. Noncustomers can connect via the T-Mobile Park Wi-Fi.
- 5G Automated Balls and Strikes: MLB will test an automated ball-strike (ABS) challenge system at the SiriusXM All-Star Futures Game, which will feature top Minor League talent. Decisions will be provided to players and fans via a 5G private mobile network from T-Mobile’s 5G Advanced Network Solutions.
- T-Moble 5G BP (batting practice): Up close views from the players’ perspectives as they warm up for the T-Mobile Home Run Derby will be available via 5G POV cameras. There will be cameras on the catchers’ masks and a first-time-ever use of a high-definition drone camera on the field.
It’s not the first time that T-Mobile has taken 5G out to the old ball game.
Last August, the carrier deployed 5G in Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, NY. The company sent a drone on a stadium tour featuring two ex-Yankees – Bernie Williams and Hideki Matsui – and sent the video to post production using its 5G network. Upgrades included deployment of Ultra Capacity 5G to select sections and doubling of capacity for LTE services.
In August 2021, T-Mobile and The Drone Racing League launched a 5G-enabled drone capable of live streaming. The first demonstration was slated for the Field of Dreams Game and for the device to be used through the 2021-22 season.
