by The Increasing Use of 5G for Live TV Production By Phil Rhodes
From private to hybrid, advances in cellular connections enhance coverage
VidOvation’s commentary on the TV Technology article published September 1, 2025:
Title: The Rise of 5G in Live TV Production: Why VidOvation and Haivision Are Leading the Charge
The live broadcast industry is undergoing a significant transformation. Gone are the days when live contribution depended solely on satellite trucks and hardwired fiber links. Today, the world of live television is increasingly mobile, IP-based, and cloud-connected. At the heart of this shift is the explosive adoption of 5G technology for live video contribution. A recent article by Phil Rhodes, published in TV Tech on September 1, 2025, underscores this evolution and reaffirms the leadership of VidOvation and Haivision in driving this change.
In this blog post, we break down the key points of the article through the lens of VidOvation and Haivision’s mission: to modernize live production with robust, scalable, and reliable IP-based solutions.
Cellular Contribution Is Now the Norm
As Rhodes highlights, the use of cellular networks for live video contribution is no longer an emerging trend—it’s the standard. Daniel Pisarski, CTO at LiveU, confirms that over 90% of contribution workflows today rely on bonded cellular.
This is no surprise to VidOvation. For more than a decade, we’ve advocated for remote production workflows that leverage bonded cellular and IP transport. Partnering with Haivision, we’ve helped broadcasters deploy cutting-edge tools that outperform legacy infrastructure in terms of cost, mobility, and scalability.
Why it matters: Bonded cellular enables broadcasters to go live from virtually anywhere, whether it’s a stadium, a city street, or a remote mountain range. VidOvation’s integration of Haivision transmitters and receivers ensures pristine video quality, frame-accurate genlock, audio sync, and ultra-low latency, even over unmanaged networks.
Maturity Means Optimization, Not Experimentation
The article notes a key insight: cellular contribution technology has reached a point of maturity. The industry is no longer experimenting with cellular—it’s optimizing it.
LiveU’s latest updates (like eSIM support and multi-camera units) reflect incremental improvements. In contrast, VidOvation and Haivision are solving bigger challenges: how to integrate bonded cellular into full REMI and At-home remote production workflows, how to mix public and private 5G, and how to make live video seamlessly connect to the cloud.
VidOvation in action: At major events like the Paris 2024 Olympics, VidOvation deployed Haivision solutions to enable live contribution from highly congested environments, where public infrastructure alone could not be trusted.
Private 5G: A Game-Changer for Broadcasters
Rhodes explores a rising trend: private 5G. Unlike public networks, private 5G offers dedicated, secure bandwidth. It is ideal for high-stakes productions where quality and reliability are non-negotiable.
VidOvation’s advantage: We were early to recognize the value of private 5G. Working with Haivision, VidOvation has supported some of the largest and most complex temporary private 5G networks ever built for live television. Our deployments feature dedicated spectrum, multi-camera bonding, edge devices with eSIM control, and full integration into cloud-based switching and production environments.
VidOvation Private 5G NAB Product of the Year
Hybrid Networks: The Best of Both Worlds
One of the most effective approaches is hybrid bonding—using both public and private 5G together. This ensures redundancy, performance, and maximum coverage.
VidOvation has been at the forefront of hybrid bonding. Haivision transmitters like the Pro460 automatically combine multiple public 5G, private 5G, and even Ethernet or Wi-Fi paths, ensuring seamless and uninterrupted contribution.
Real-world success: At the Seine River Opening Ceremony during the Paris Olympics, Haivision transmitters running on both public and private 5G delivered live feeds from moving boats, while the MoJoPro app gave journalists the flexibility to contribute from their smartphones with broadcast-grade quality.
Haivision Flag-ship Pro460 4 HD SDI or 1 UHD Bonded Cellular Mobile Transmitter & Encoder provided by VidOvation
Cloud-Based Production: The Logical Next Step
With IP-based transport and 5G in place, the next frontier is cloud production. Rhodes points out how companies are investing heavily in cloud switching, remote vision mixing, and cloud recording.
VidOvation has anticipated this shift. Our systems are built to support cloud-native workflows, with tools like Haivision StreamHub acting as the bridge between field units and virtual production control rooms.
Benefits:
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Centralized control across global deployments
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Real-time collaboration between field crews and studio teams
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Faster turnaround times for highlights, replays, and social content
Spectral Efficiency and Regulatory Know-How
Another critical issue is spectrum. As the article notes, private 5G’s performance depends on spectrum availability. Navigating spectrum licensing and allocation requires experience and local knowledge.
This is where VidOvation adds unique value. Our team works hand-in-hand with frequency regulators and event organizers to secure the right bands and build compliant, high-performance networks. We don’t just deliver hardware—we deliver an end-to-end strategy.
Why VidOvation + Haivision = Proven, Future-Ready Production
While competitors focus on niche use cases or gradual evolution, VidOvation and Haivision are redefining what’s possible in live broadcasting. Our combined offerings provide:
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End-to-end REMI workflows with multi-camera synchronization
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Private and hybrid 5G deployments tailored to specific events
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Seamless integration with cloud platforms and remote production tools
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Field-proven success at global events under intense operational pressure
We are not chasing the trend. We are setting the pace.
Kickstart At-home Production: Innovations from On Patrol Live [Learn More]
On Patrol: Live REMI At-home Production workflow
Key Takeaways
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Cellular contribution is mainstream. VidOvation and Haivision helped make it that way.
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Private 5G is the future. VidOvation is already deploying it.
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Hybrid networks offer unbeatable resilience. We deliver them today.
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Cloud workflows are here. Our systems are ready.
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Real-world success matters. We’ve proven it on the biggest stages in broadcasting.
Conclusion: Let’s Build the Future Together
The broadcast world is evolving fast. Technologies like bonded cellular, private 5G, and cloud production are no longer optional—they’re essential. Broadcasters who want to stay competitive need more than just products. They need partners who understand the full picture.
At VidOvation, in partnership with Haivision, we deliver more than gear. We deliver confidence in every frame. From remote news gathering to international sporting events, our solutions ensure you go live with speed, stability, and simplicity.
The future of live TV is here. Let’s build it together.
Contact VidOvation today to learn how we can help you modernize your live production workflows with bonded cellular, private 5G, and IP-based transmission solutions that are tested, trusted, and ready for tomorrow.