Moving from trials to production is a major leap—and TV2 Danmark has just made it happen.
The idea of using cellular technology in media production isn’t new. The industry demands more content, more cameras, better quality, and lower costs—all while keeping productions agile. Media companies are always early adopters of cutting-edge tech, but moving from experimentation to full-scale production takes the right mix of innovation and reliability.
This journey started in 2020 with the #5GRECORDS project, where Cumucore and TV2 Danmark teamed up to test 5G Standalone (SA) technology in live media environments. The results? Plenty of learnings and a clear understanding of …
what’s needed for 5G SA to be production-ready
1. Stable low-latency uplink
2. Compact, all-in-one base station with an integrated antenna
3. Optimized frequency for uplink-heavy traffic
4. Robust, field-ready hardware
5. Simple setup & easy software integration
From Proof of Concept to Reality
The turning point came on November 1, 2023, when the solution was tested in the TV2 GoTo studio. From studio trials to real-world deployments, the system proved its reliability and was greenlit for regular production.
Unlike traditional 5G SA base stations—typically optimized for eMBB traffic—this solution is built specifically for live video production. By fine-tuning the software, it eliminates the “delay tail” that usually affects uplink performance. The result? Lower stable latency, more control on data flows, and a plug-and-play setup—just power up the core, connect the base station, and monitor with a handset.
By March 2025, TV2 Danmark had fully integrated the 5G SA setup into regular production, using:
- NodeH gNB software on Askey gNB hardware
- Cumucore’s core software on SuperMicro hardware
- Sunshine UI from Poutanet
- 5G SA-enabled video encoder from Haivision
- Sony professional cameras
Why This Matters
5G SA is transforming media production by reducing cabling needs, enabling new camera angles, accelerating setup times and enabling remote production. Unlike shared-frequency solutions, this dedicated 5G network ensures a higher bitrate and more reliable connections—a game-changer for live broadcasting.
TV2 Danmark has led the way, providing the perfect environment to refine this solution, offer feedback, and bring the right partners together. And this is just the beginning. The system will continue to evolve, but one thing is certain—5G SA is now a production reality.
Photo credit: Morten Brandstrup, TV2.
TV2 Danmark test 5G in a live studio production
