From Broadcasting in the Field to the Command Center, LiveU is Keeping the Summer of Soccer Resilient and Safe

When networks are congested, LiveU bonded technology keeps broadcasts on air and security teams informed, even at the world’s largest sporting event

LiveU, an innovator in live, low-latency IP video from the field, powers broadcasts at major sporting events worldwide. This summer’s global championship soccer tournament features 48 national teams and 104 matches across 16 host cities in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Broadcasters, production companies, teams and individual creators plan to leverage LiveU technology to provide round-the-clock coverage of the tournament and fan zones. LiveU has also become a trusted partner for first responders and security teams in key host cities, helping them monitor and manage the multi-venue event and keep teams connected and informed.

Securing a world football tournament requires multi-agency coordination across three countries, the U.S., Mexico and Canada. The operational environment moves from the field to encompass fan zones, transportation hubs, airports, hotels, training sites, entertainment venues — even the entire city.

The connectivity challenge starts in the stadium: packed crowds overwhelm cellular networks. LiveU bonded cellular video has kept broadcast signals stable in exactly those conditions for nearly two decades. Even more, the company is working with more than 100 local, state and federal agencies to keep people safe during public events, emergencies and natural disasters.

“LiveU has spent the past several years working alongside local, state and federal agencies, earning their trust in situations where lives are on the line,” said Gideon Gilboa, Chief Business Officer, at LiveU. “Now that work is playing out on the world’s largest stage.”

From the Broadcast Truck to the Command Center

LiveU Central is a Command & Control platform that gives broadcasters, federal agencies, police, transit and security teams secure, easy access to their video feeds without custom integration. Agencies can securely stream live video from unmanned vehicles, drones, helicopters and fixed cameras into a single command-center Multiview and share it with field teams.

LiveU Central is the single pane of glass that allows agencies to remotely control, monitor and configure their video workflows, and it integrates easily and securely with any video management system (VMS) and real-time information center (RTIC).

Built for the Moments When Networks Fail

LiveU technology combines multiple cellular carriers, Wi-Fi, wired and satellite connections into a single resilient link.

• LiveU IQ (LIQ™) Uses AI to switch between carriers in real time, maintaining the strongest available connection wherever they are.
• LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) This video-over-bonded-IP (innovated by LiveU) maintains a stable, low-latency feed even when individual networks experience congestion.

Public Safety: A Different Set of Stakes

A dropped broadcast signal costs revenue, but a dropped public safety feed might cost lives during an emergency response. “You cannot manage what you cannot see, and at an event of this scale you cannot afford to wait for a report to reach you,” said Kevin Cresswell, a global defense and security specialist who serves on the International Association of Chiefs of Police project team for this summer’s tournament. “The agencies that do well this summer will be the ones with the clearest, fastest and most widely shared view of what is actually happening on the ground.”

“When every cellular carrier near a stadium is at capacity, that is exactly the moment first responders need real-time situational awareness,” said Alex Joyce, head of public safety technology at LiveU. “Our job is to ensure this information reaches every first responder in real time. LiveU technology creates an automated PACE (Primary, Alternate, Contingency, Emergency) plan and load-balances across carriers and networks to keep the video feed clear even when a venue’s cellular capacity is strained by thousands of users.”