Telia puts its 5G to the test as professional gamers use the network at an esports event in Helsinki.
During the event, Telia and Republic of Gamers 5G Challenge, featured a gaming stage, where the audience could challenge top names like Robin ”Snappe” Uotila, a pro gamer in the ENCE team, and popular tubers Scouppi and Roponen, to a game of Overwatch connected to 5G.
“Trials in lab environment have proved that 5G opens enormous new opportunities in the world of competitive gaming. We want to illustrate the possibilities of 5G through practical examples, and therefore we wanted to take this new technology out for the public to try. Esports is a challenging area for technology, but we believe 5G will offer a superefficient access alternative for gamers,” says Janne Koistinen, 5G Program Director for Telia in Finland.
For Telia, esports is a new, rapidly developing business area, where fast network connections and top quality equipment are in high demand. ”Esports is growing fast; more and more Finns engage in recreational gaming and the best players compete in global arenas for million dollar prizes. We want to take esports further and participate in building a responsible gaming culture that excites both the younger and the older generations of gamers,” says Mikko Kaarttinen, Telia esports team.
The event in Helsinki was the first time 5G was publicly viable in an everyday environment. The 5G trial was conducted with a Nokia test base station operating on the higher, 28 GHz 5G frequency area. This next-step in our technology is expected to open revolutionary pioneering opportunities for mobile networks around the world.