A look at how 5G technology can impact your entertainment

In The Know is a part of the Verizon Media family, which is home to media, technology and communication brands that nearly 900 million people across the globe love and trust. In addition, Yahoo Entertainment is owned by Verizon, which produced the “What 5G Means to You” event. 

The future is here — and the future is fast. On Jan. 14, Verizon hosted a roundtable discussion with some of the leaders in the technology industry to discuss the benefits and capabilities of the remarkable 5G ultra wideband mobile network, now available all across the country, with the goal of breaking down the real use cases and impact the network can have on how we live, work, educate and entertain. 

While the roundtable discussion touched on a number of different topics where the 5G network could help improve everyday life, one area that was specifically focused on was that of entertainment and how the ultra wide broadband network is changing the way we engage not only with the products and services, but the experience itself. 

One member of the virtual roundtable discussion was executive vice president of global partnerships and content distribution for Live Nation, Kevin Chernett. Chernett discussed how excited he is at the idea of the 5G network allowing for both performers and concert-goers to create new and engaging ways to experience the concert itself. 

“We do a lot of fun things in shows, augmented reality and things like that. We would imbed that in an app. But with 5G, we can actually offer that experience simultaneously and everyone can experience those things at the same time,” he said. “We’re super excited about the possibilities, and I’m not here to say we know what all those possibilities are yet, but it’s a great creative canvas for the industry.”

However, live events and streams are not the only way that the ultra wideband network is impacting your entertainment abilities. Greg Borrud, the vice president of games and general manager for the Los Angeles and London operations of Niantic, Inc., also joined the roundtable to discuss how the capabilities of the 5G network is allowing for advancements in the gaming world. Improvements to global positioning and lag times are allowing for advancements that were never before possible, turning our entire world into a giant playground. 

“Being able to map the world effectively gives the designers incredible tools to create never before seen experiences. That’s what gets us incredibly excited as game developers, and honestly — as experience developers — this is going to go way beyond games in our minds. That’s what we’re really excited about — and 5G allows us to get there.”

While the pandemic has kept us at home over the past year, it has not stopped the creative minds in the technology community from using the 5G network to innovate new ways for us to experience the world awaiting us. So while we’re all looking forward to attending a concert, a game or any live event in the future once we’re all able to gather again, it may not be the same experience that you remember, but better, thanks to 5G.  

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