
Photo: Smart Mobile Labs
Photo: Smart Mobile Labs
Video transmission in real time – this works best with 5G technology. The Munich-based software company Smart Mobile Labs (SML) specializes in the installation of private 5G networks and works with media companies and event organizers, among others. SML Managing Director Rüdiger Hnyk reveals what is behind the technology and how the market will develop in the future.
Rüdiger, Smart Mobile Labs (SML) realizes projects in which data such as videos are transmitted in real time. How can we imagine this?
Rüdiger Hnyk: We build special mobile networks for private applications. We are actually familiar with mobile networks from big names such as 1&1, Telefonica, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom. These companies have received 5G mobile communications licenses in Germany and are dividing up the market. Here we are talking about public mobile networks, while we at SML install private mobile networks and operate them for our customers. These run on special radio frequencies. On the one hand, they can be used by public authorities such as government offices, railroads, police and the German armed forces – but for around five years now, the Federal Network Agency has also released a frequency band for private or industrial applications, which is the basis for our business. The prerequisite for this is that end users may only operate this network on their own land. This is attractive for our customers because the Federal Network Agency only charges around EUR 1,000 over ten years for the use of this frequency band on an area the size of a soccer pitch.
We are by far the largest provider of these private mobile networks in Germany and have also just been selected as a system partner by Deutsche Bahn, for example.
How does the video technology behind it work?
Rüdiger: We use standardized protocols from the Internet that have been freely available for years. Protocols that are now also used for our Teams Video Call, for example. We have also developed some patented processes to synchronize speech and data in real time. These ensure that my lip movement on the screen matches what you hear, so there is no delay.
What part of the whole transfer process is the responsibility of SML? For which steps do you work together with partners?
Rüdiger: We are essentially a 5G integrator with real-time software development. This means that we purchase the hardware we use – the special mobile radio systems – from other manufacturers. Here, we are primarily associated with Nokia, which is one of the global market leaders in this field and also has a large site in Munich.
SML has been around for ten years now. Why did you decide to go into the mobile communications industry?
Rüdiger: We believe in the possibilities and the future of telecommunications. I consider my business partner Klaus Nagora and myself to be visionaries in this area – we believe in the future viability of some technologies and have ideas for applications that could be successful with 5G in the future. We are currently developing the basic technology for future use cases on 5G - or later 6G - wireless technologies and are building these use cases together with our customers. Often at an early stage: We work a lot with universities and research institutes and try to incorporate the results from these projects into our products.
„People have predicted huge growth for 5G, and it is happening. SML's 5G projects have seen annual sales growth of 100 percent over the past four years. The major industrial companies in Germany are now all working with the technology.“
Why is 5G a technology that is particularly suitable for live transmission?
Rüdiger: There are two main points: higher bandwidth and lower latency, i.e. delay. The higher bandwidth is generated by better chips, which in turn ensure better wireless technology. We notice this when we watch a video, for example on YouTube, with our smartphone via 5G: They have a much better resolution and start faster.
Who do you work with?
Rüdiger: Our customers include airports, seaports, large industrial complexes and logistics companies. In the media sector, we work primarily with Sky, for whom we test a number of new technologies at sporting events, particularly in soccer. For example, we have already tested our 5G technology live in the Red Bull Arena Leipzig – one of the most modern stadiums in Germany with a very good infrastructure. We are also working together with SWR for the public broadcasters. SWR is the technology leader for 5G technologies within the ARD Group. We are working with SWR primarily on new live production opportunities and have already implemented several projects together. For example, we were live on German television with 5G transmission channels. The main aim was to use smartphone or shoulder cameras to quickly switch between different perspectives via the private 5G network.
How exactly can we imagine the transmission process – will 5G replace other technologies such as satellite, cable or DAB+?
Rüdiger: No, 5G is more of an add-on technology. We differentiate between distribution and contribution. On the distribution side, we will not be able to do without traditional distribution channels such as satellite, cable, DAB and DVB, which are mainly used for broadcasting. They have been established for many years and allow television channels to reach the end customer at very low cost. On the contribution side, we are concentrating on 5G as a localized technology. This means that we use our technology to set up a 5G network at a specific location, such as a stadium for sporting events or concerts. Here it makes sense not to reach the audience via the normal, public Internet, but to let them dial into their own 5G network. The idea: in future, visitors will be able to scan a QR code at the entrance to a stadium to log into the local stadium network. This will give them access to additional services, such as watching a replay of the soccer goal or switching to other stages during music events. This allows event organizers to offer their visitors a completely new, much more comprehensive user experience. These use cases are still very new, but we believe that they will become increasingly important in the coming years.
To what extent is 5G technology being used in broadcasting and television production?
Rüdiger: The focus here is more on the exceptional camera quality of new smartphones. Innovation is progressing rapidly, with new video features appearing in new smartphones every year. The quality here is sometimes already higher than that of TV cameras purchased a few years ago. This enables a completely new type of content. Instead of working with a large and heavy shoulder camera, it is enough to use a much lighter and cheaper smartphone and a gimbal to achieve similarly good results.
According to your website, 5G is the fastest transmission option in the world. Why isn't it used much more often in the media sector?
Rüdiger: This is mainly due to the fact that a 5G private network can only be used with the newer smartphone generations – the phones must be no more than two years old. It may take another year before this can be assumed for a certain percentage of stadium visitors. Then it can be assumed that the extra service can also be used.
How will the 5G market develop over the next few years?
Rüdiger: People have predicted huge growth for 5G, and it is happening. SML's 5G projects have seen annual sales growth of 100 percent over the past four years. The major industrial companies in Germany are now all working with the technology. In the future, 5G could also be used there for self-driving trains or buses, for example. This should spur development even further. I could also imagine that in a year or two, private individuals will come into contact with private 5G networks at large events – by logging in with their smartphone and receiving additional services. We expect the technology to have a great future ahead of it.