Orange supports French Open innovation
May 28, 2019
The first live broadcast of matches in 8K thanks to 5G, a mixed reality experience to get into the thick of the sporting action, access to all the useful information about the Grand Slam competition thanks to artificial intelligence, French telco Orange is working with the French Tennis Federation to make the French Open one of the most innovative Grand Slam tournaments.
The French Tennis Federation, Orange and France Télévisions are joining forces to air the first ever live 8K TV images of the matches on the Philippe-Chatrier court, broadcast thanks to Orange’s 5G network within the Roland-Garros stadium.
During the 15-day competition, the visitors – the general public and professionals alike – will be able to admire sports coverage of unrivalled quality at the stadium in two specially created showrooms. A technological breakthrough made possible thanks to the 5G network deployed across the stadium; this network meets the huge growth in data and connectivity requirements of new digital uses.
For the first time at the French Open, France Télévisions’ 8K cameras, located on the Philippe-Chatrier court with their real time data processing platform, will broadcast live to Orange’s local 5G transmitters deployed especially for the event.
In addition, France Télévisions’ sports newsroom will test, in real conditions, Orange’s new 5G broadcasting performance to film its coverage using mobile cameras (HD).
This experiment has been made possible thanks to the involvement of the France Télévisions Innovation and Prospective teams, the Orange group’s Innovation teams and the FFT’s teams.
With 5G, mobile TV will enjoy very high-resolution images and will also be demonstrated on the very first 5G smartphones by Oppo, the premium partner of Roland-Garros. In addition, a panoramic display wall will demonstrate a way to make the most of the very high definition images that the networks of the future will be able to carry.
Orange and the French Tennis Federation are also offering the chance to go even further than virtual reality experiences. Thanks to mixed reality, and equipped with Magic Leap One headsets, visitors will be able to watch a tennis match broadcast in mixed reality, offering a taste of how we could experience tennis and other sporting, cultural or artistic events in the future. Visitors will be able to interact with the projected images and move around to choose the best viewpoint. Immersive and interactive uses that will soon spread thanks to 5G’s excellent specifications.
Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), Orange is also offering visitors an even better experience at the Tournament with this virtual assistant, via a dedicated demonstration on smartphones. Visitors will be able to ask the Tournament Assistant many questions (written or oral) about the French Tennis Open and will receive an immediate answer:
- History of the Roland-Garros site: all the information about the tournament’s historical figures, the construction and development of the site, etc.
- Practical information: weather, location of the courts, bars, restaurants, toilets, etc.
- Sporting information: match results, the day’s schedule, location of the next matches, etc.
The anonymous data collected and analysed will, in return, enable the organisers of the French Open better to understand the needs and interests of the visitors on the site during the tournament and improve their experience.