BT to Power Emirates Great Britain SailGP with Dual 5G Standalone Network Slices

BT to Power Emirates Great Britain SailGP with Dual 5G Standalone Network Slices

(IN BRIEF) BT Group is supplying two dedicated 5G Standalone network slices at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix (July 19–20) in Portsmouth, partnering with SailGP, Ericsson, Nokia, and Sony. These slices will ensure reliable boat connectivity for the 12 F50 yachts, fast point‑of‑sale transactions, high‑capacity broadcast feeds via roaming Full HD cameras, and real‑time media uploads. A new 360° AR/VR experience will be trialed using next‑gen 5G radios. BT’s network slicing debut at a single event underscores its capability to support both operational logistics and fan engagement, leveraging EE’s 5G Standalone footprint covering 45 percent of the UK.

(PRESS RELEASE) LONDON, 16-Jul-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — BT Group today announced a partnership with SailGP to deploy its pioneering 5G Standalone network slicing at the Emirates Great Britain Sail Grand Prix in Portsmouth on July 19–20. As the event’s official technology supplier, BT will work alongside SailGP and Ericsson to deliver two bespoke network slices that guarantee dedicated, congestion‑free connectivity tailored to the race’s operational and fan‑experience demands.

Using 5G Standalone network slicing, BT and Nokia have configured specialized slices across radio masts around Portsmouth Harbour.

This marks BT’s first deployment of multiple concurrent slices at a single event, ensuring uninterrupted performance whether supporting behind‑the‑scenes logistics or powering immersive experiences for spectators. EE’s 5G Standalone network will provide the slices, which cover:

• Boat connectivity: Seamless handover between private and public networks on all 12 F50 foiling catamarans, maintaining voice channels, live telemetry, and onboard video feeds.
• Point‑of‑sale: Fast, reliable transactions in the official merchandise shop located within the SailGP Race Stadium.
• Broadcast: Collaboration with Sony to trial 5G live‑production capabilities, enabling roaming Full HD cameras to stream ultra‑low‑latency footage via a high‑capacity uplink slice for global broadcast to 212 countries.
• Media uploads: Immediate, assured connectivity for select photographers using Sony Alpha cameras and PDT‑FP1 transmitters to send images in real time to international outlets.

In addition, BT and Ericsson will test next‑generation 5G radios that support ultra‑low latency and gigabit speeds to power SailGP’s new 360° AR/VR experience, giving fans a virtual ride aboard an F50.

Kerry Small, COO of BT Business, commented, “5G Standalone goes beyond speed—it unlocks bespoke capabilities that elevate customer experiences. Our collaboration with SailGP showcases how network slicing can streamline operations and bring fans closer to the action.” Warren Jones, CTO of SailGP, added, “Returning to the UK after three years, we’re thrilled to push sports connectivity to new limits. BT’s 5G slicing ensures real‑time data, communications, and video reach our global audience without compromise.”

Building on deployments at venues such as Wembley Stadium and the Belfast Christmas market, EE’s 5G Standalone network now covers over 45 percent of the UK population across more than 50 major towns and cities. Limited tickets remain—visit SailGP.com/tickets to secure your place at Portsmouth’s return of world‑class foiling action.

About SailGP

The most exciting racing on water, the Rolex SailGP Championship is a global championship with national teams battling it out in identical high-tech, high-speed 50-foot foiling catamarans at iconic venues around the world. Racing faster than the wind at speeds exceeding 100 km/h // 60mph, the Rolex SailGP Championship is driven by the sport’s top athletes, with national pride, personal glory, and bonus prize money of US$12 million at stake. Visit SailGP.com to find out more.

1 Claim based on the RootMetrics® UK RootScore® Report: H2 2024. Tested at locations across the UK with the best commercially available smartphones on 4 national mobile networks across all available network types. Your experiences may vary. The RootMetrics award is not an endorsement of EE. Visit ee.co.uk/claims for more details.

About BT Group

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services. We also provide managed telecommunications, security and network & IT infrastructure services to customers across 180 countries.

BT Group consists of three customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK and internationally; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 700 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about

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SOURCE: British Telecommunications