T-Mobile is set deliver mobile Rules Review with event connectivity and some exclusive member “experiences.” The deal covers the US Women’s Open at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California, the US Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, NY, and the USGA’s other national championships.
The “enhanced 5G network connectivity” the operator is setting up will give officials access to some tools and communication capabilities needed to make faster decisions, apparently.
They can tap into an optimized 5G network slice when they are on the course and via some devices get access video footage and communicate in real time with others on the officiating team “to deliver rulings from anywhere on the course, without delays or dead zones.”
Another optimised network slice will be used to power ticket scanning and select point-of-sale terminals at the events, and the USGA content team will use T-Mobile’s “photojournalism network slicing capability for rapid content delivery”.
There are some member perks as well – T-Mobile members can claim two complimentary gallery tickets to the US Women’s Open by showing their Magenta Pass at the Main Ticket Office, and on-site at both Open events, T-Mobile members and their guests can visit the Member Benefits Hub at the T-Mobile Range for things like lawn chairs, food and beverage vouchers and wristbands for reserved grandstand seating.
“The USGA has shaped the game of golf for more than a century, and this partnership marks an exciting expansion of T-Mobile’s growing presence in the sport,” said Amy Azzi, VP of Sponsorships, T-Mobile.
“T-Mobile is bringing new innovation to championship operations — including a first-of-its-kind Rules Review powered by America’s Best Network — while creating more connected, immersive moments for fans at golf’s biggest events.
“T-Mobile shares our belief that the best moments in golf deserve to be experienced at the highest level — by the players competing for a title, the officials upholding the integrity of the game, and the fans following every shot.
This partnership gives us the tools to deliver on that across the board, from real-time Rules Review on the course to connected experiences for our members and fans.
We’re proud to have T-Mobile as a partner and excited about what we can build together,” said Jon Podany, chief commercial officer of USGA.
Last month rival US operator Verizon the New Jersey Devils, and the National Hockey League set up a simulated arena environment for testing emerging technologies that might be used in that sport.
The NHL Innovation Lab is described as a simulated arena environment, and Verizon provided a private 5G network and Secure Cloud Interconnect (SCI) solutions. It says by creating a dedicated, high-bandwidth “express lane” for data, it is rustling up new workflows with faster speed, lower latency, and enhanced security.
