In the world of extreme sports, where split-second decisions and real-time data can define victory, reliable, high-performance connectivity is no longer a luxury—it’s a necessity. Ericsson, a global leader in high-performing networking technology, is redefining what wireless connectivity means for athletes and their teams competing in some of the most demanding environments on earth. From solar-powered race cars crossing the vast Australian outback to cutting-edge catamarans racing at sea, Ericsson’s state-of-the-art Wireless WAN solutions are delivering uninterrupted, intelligent connectivity that empowers performance, strategy, and fan engagement alike.
Sunswift Racing: Solar-Powered Innovation Meets Intelligent Connectivity
The Sunswift Racing team, based at the University of New South Wales, Sydney is renowned worldwide for its pioneering efforts in developing and crafting world-class prototype electric vehicles powered by solar energy. Competing in the rigorous Bridgestone World Solar Challenge – a gruelling, week-long race from Darwin to Adelaide through the Australian outback – Sunswift relies heavily on continuous, robust data flow. For this year’s event, Ericsson equipped the team with ruggedised Ericsson Cradlepoint R1900 routers that merge multiple WAN links, including 5G cellular and satellite connections, into a single, seamless, highly resilient channel, enabling real-time access to vehicle telemetry, live video, and push-to-talk communications during events.
This Wireless WAN setup ensured Sunswift’s race and vehicle telemetry data – ranging from solar panel efficiency to battery status and vehicle speed – transmitted in real time, allowing teams to make critical strategic decisions on the fly. The solution also supported live video streaming, push-to-talk communications, and stable internet access, vital not just for team coordination but also for engaging fans globally via live race coverage on platforms like YouTube. Ericsson’s NetCloud management – a cloud-based management platform that allows IT teams to monitor and manage connected devices – further enhanced connectivity by optimising bandwidth and managing multi-carrier networks, guaranteeing uninterrupted data sharing from race and support vehicles back to base in Sydney, regardless of the extreme terrain challenges.
SailGP: Racing at the Speed of 5G
On the high seas, Ericsson extends its wireless ingenuity to SailGP, the premier global racing championship known for its exhilarating speeds and complex racing conditions on water. The collaboration has introduced Ericsson Private 5G and Cradlepoint edge routers embedded in the hydro-foiling F50 catamarans. Utilising 5G spectrum in countries and areas where it’s available, this technology enables instantaneous data transport between vessels and shore-based teams, allowing, athletes, coaches, and umpires to receive real-time analytics and coordinate precise race strategies.
SailGP is redefining competitive sailing with an unprecedented open data policy. Every team accesses the same live telemetry, performance stats, and video – from their own F50s and every rival – eliminating tech secrets and ensuring victory comes down to execution.
Teams focus on refining tactics, perfecting simulations, and making smarter split-second race calls. Some push further, using custom data pipelines and AI analytics to uncover game-changing insights.
The payoff is tangible: by enabling live connectivity and data-sharing, coaches adapt tactics mid-race, athletes onboard track wind and pressure shifts with pinpoint precision, as well as fine-tune flight and foil angles in real time to chase the winning edge.
The Ericsson 5G solution was deployed globally in the 2025 Season, marking a significant leap in how extreme sporting events leverage wireless technology. High-speed, low-latency connections have facilitated not only enhanced decision-making capabilities but have also elevated fan experiences, delivering unprecedented visibility into race dynamics and performance analytics.
Unmatched Reliability in the Harshest Conditions
What unites Sunswift and SailGP – and many other extreme sport applications is Ericsson’s commitment to robust, adaptive Wireless WAN connectivity. By providing private networks and intelligently combining multiple networks to leverage unique traffic steering and cellular intelligence features, Ericsson’s technology maintains consistent, always-on performance even under the toughest operating conditions – extreme heat, cold, wet, wind, and motion! This level of reliability is critical in environments where losing a data link could cost a race or compromise participant safety.
As extreme sports continue to push technological and physical boundaries, Ericsson’s enterprise wireless solutions stand as a testament to innovation, resilience, and the transformative potential of connectivity. From the sun-baked roads of the Australian outback to oceans and seas around the world, Ericsson is enabling athletes to compete at their best and fans to experience the thrill in real time.
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