The Business of Stadium Connectivity: Monetizing 5G at Mega Sporting Events

The Business of Stadium Connectivity: Monetizing 5G at Mega Sporting Events

As a spectacular summer of World Cup soccer approaches, The Path to 6G team take a look at some of the network technology that will share the world’s biggest sporting tournament with fans across the globe. With 16 host stadiums across Canada, Mexico and the USA, the tournament is unprecedented in its scale and will serve as the ultimate proving ground for modern connectivity, driven by private 5G networks and network slicing. This will be key to unlocking new in-person fan experiences for those in the stadiums, while empowering broadcasters to rely on untethered wireless cameras to deliver flawless, high-quality live broadcasting to billions of fans watching worldwide. And all without competing for bandwidth. Steve and MJ are joined again by service assurance expert Ross Cassan, to dive into how this technological leap is becoming the pivotal catalyst for operators to monetize their 5G and future 6G investments.

To the Cloud – and Beyond!

The Path to 6G takes MJ and Steve to the cloud this time round to consider how if 6G is evolving into a cloud and AI native distributed computing fabric, what must we do to create value now while safely building the foundations for tomorrow's monetization?  It's not just about faster radios or more bandwidth. It's about networks becoming intelligent, programmable platforms that can sense, compute, automate, and assure services across devices, edge, cloud, space, industry ecosystems, and a whole lot more. To help MJ and Steve navigate this topic, they're joined by Spirent telecom cloud expert Bill Clark. Together, they explore how the pioneering cloud-native infrastructure test and benchmarking solutions of today are helping service providers accelerate the rollout of their 5G standalone and advanced networks, and also laying the foundations for a rapidly approaching 6G.

The New Telecom Frontier: NTN, AI & Space-Based Networks

MJ and Steve are joined by Positioning, Navigation and Timing (PNT) expert Jeremy Bennington to explore how non-terrestrial networks (NTN) are shaping the path to 6G, focusing on direct-to-device (D2D) satellite communications and PNT. They discuss how LEO satellites are enabling coverage expansion, resilience, and new telecom services, while highlighting challenges like spectrum interference, device limitations, and service continuity. The trio delve deeper into space to talk about the rising threat of GNSS spoofing and jamming that's driving demand for resilient PNT, signal authentication, and AI-driven detection. With LEO-based PNT emerging as a complementary solution, NTN is set to become a foundational layer for global connectivity, security, and next-generation telecom innovation. #telecoms #space #GNSS #LEO

Building the intelligent network for AI

This time on The Path to 6G, MJ and Steve look at how AI is reshaping the telecom industry and ask the big questions about where the real value will be created. Joined by Spirent special guest Anil Kollipara, together they explore what AI really means for telecom operators, where the biggest opportunities are emerging, and how leading test companies like Spirent and Keysight are thinking about the road ahead. The conversation delves into the growing pressures that telcos face to define their unique role, as hyperscalers invest heavily in AI infrastructure and the industry explores everything from AI monetization and AI agents, to token-based business models. Plus, as their networks become more autonomous, telcos must also demonstrate that trust, assurance, and effective guardrails are just as important as innovation itself.

The 5G Experience Economy

This time on The Path to 6G, Steve and MJ explore the rise of the 5G experience economy—and why telecom monetization now depends on delivering differentiated customer experiences, not just speed.  From 5G Standalone and 5G Advanced to network slicing, fixed wireless access, and AI-driven services, the team break down how operators are unlocking new revenue streams. This includes how cloud-native cores, service assurance, and targeted segmentation are transforming telecom business models.  Plus, they explore how today’s 5G innovations are laying the groundwork for 6G monetization strategies.  Turning 5G investments into real growth is all about the experience economy. That's the big change.