Interesting use of 3G

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886


--
Graham.
%Profound_observation%

On Wed, 30 May 2012 09:03:32 +0100, Graham. <me@privacy.net> wrote:

>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886

I wonder if this is the same technology used for events like the Tour
de France? I'm always very impressed with the quality of TV coverage
the French networks come up with for that.

Chris

In message <otkbs7pe9b61s3db88hj48kpucommiuaeo@4ax.com>, at 09:03:32 on
Wed, 30 May 2012, Graham. <me@privacy.net> remarked:
>
>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886

Is the plane carrying a picocell, or just a camera? It's not very clear
from the commentary.
--
Roland Perry

On 31/05/2012 08:44, Roland Perry wrote:
> In message <otkbs7pe9b61s3db88hj48kpucommiuaeo@4ax.com>, at 09:03:32 on
> Wed, 30 May 2012, Graham. <me@privacy.net> remarked:
>>
>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886
>
> Is the plane carrying a picocell, or just a camera? It's not very clear
> from the commentary.

There has been no mention of it being used, I can't see it being very
practical. There are sections in remoter areas where I suspect that 3G
coverage is poor but they would not be to follow with a UAV for very
long. Aren't there restrictions on UAVs in UK airspace - as one UK
police force found out when they tried one without getting clearance
from the CAA.

I posted a message on uk.tech.broadcast about the antenna on the roof of
the media vehicle, one reply described them in more detail that I could
see online but there are some that have not been identified.

They have had most problems with 3G (presumably?) in town / city centres
where most of the crowd seem to have been sending video from their
mobile phones so the media vehicle could not get a connection. I did
post also a query about why they could have been given higher priority
for their SIM cards than standard users.

In message <B72dndtDAI_CulrSnZ2dnUVZ7vCdnZ2d@bt.com>, at 09:10:06 on
Thu, 31 May 2012, MB <MB@nospam.nospam> remarked:
>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886
>>
>> Is the plane carrying a picocell, or just a camera? It's not very clear
>> from the commentary.
>
>There has been no mention of it being used,

The BBC article above is very misleading (and irrelevant) if it isn't.

>I can't see it being very practical. There are sections in remoter
>areas where I suspect that 3G coverage is poor but they would not be to
>follow with a UAV for very long. Aren't there restrictions on UAVs in
>UK airspace - as one UK police force found out when they tried one
>without getting clearance from the CAA.

There are many activities for which mentioning "The Olympics" gets a
dispensation.

>I posted a message on uk.tech.broadcast about the antenna on the roof
>of the media vehicle, one reply described them in more detail that I
>could see online but there are some that have not been identified.

The BBC say they are using 8 SIMs in parallel. Would that require 8
aerials?

>They have had most problems with 3G (presumably?) in town / city
>centres where most of the crowd seem to have been sending video from
>their mobile phones so the media vehicle could not get a connection. I
>did post also a query about why they could have been given higher
>priority for their SIM cards than standard users.

aiui all that can be done (assuming 3G works like GSM in this respect)
is severely restricting the access of all consumer handsets in order to
give emergency services access in a sufficiently dire situation.
--
Roland Perry

In article <SMK9hndD1yxPFA8t@perry.co.uk>, roland@perry.co.uk says...

> The BBC say they are using 8 SIMs in parallel. Would that require 8
> aerials?
>

No, is the short answer to that one.

--
Alan LeHun

On 31/05/2012 11:42, Alan LeHun wrote:
> In article<SMK9hndD1yxPFA8t@perry.co.uk>, roland@perry.co.uk says...
>
>> The BBC say they are using 8 SIMs in parallel. Would that require 8
>> aerials?
>>
>
> No, is the short answer to that one.
>



I thought it said 16 SIM cards but it is some days since I read the news
item.

I would have thought there would be advantages in using a number of
antenna because it could give a form of space diversity.

In message <cbidneAuUf_dzVrSnZ2dnUVZ7rGdnZ2d@bt.com>, at 12:04:32 on
Thu, 31 May 2012, MB <MB@nospam.nospam> remarked:
>I thought it said 16 SIM cards but it is some days since I read the
>news item.

No, it says 8. There's also a "2 minute delay", which might be partly to
allow producers to cut out streakers etc, but also allows quite a bit of
buffering in case the very local 3G coverage drops out on all 8 SIMs
(and if deployed, the picocell-in-a-plane).
--
Roland Perry

In article <cbidneAuUf_dzVrSnZ2dnUVZ7rGdnZ2d@bt.com>, MB@nospam.nospam
says...
> I would have thought there would be advantages in using a number of
> antenna because it could give a form of space diversity.
>

Maybe, but I could surmise that they will be using a high-tech (ie high-
expense) solution to maximise performance. A single antenna would be 1/8
the cost, and any losses incurred in using just one would be fairly
minimal. This is all a bit simplistic however but the original point
remains. They can use just one if they wish.


--
Alan LeHun

"Chris Blunt" <mail@nospam.com> wrote in message
news:nukds7dqmltrs2eqtsrafitcd75d02hrg9@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 30 May 2012 09:03:32 +0100, Graham. <me@privacy.net> wrote:
>
>>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886
>
> I wonder if this is the same technology used for events like the Tour
> de France?

I doubt it - they use a team of highly skilled (motor)bike cameramen and a
satellite link. I doubt the torch relay can stretch to that.

> I'm always very impressed with the quality of TV coverage
> the French networks come up with for that.
>
> Chris

In message <a2p5cvFcndU1@mid.individual.net>, at 13:08:42 on Thu, 31 May
2012, tim.... <tims_new_home@yahoo.co.uk> remarked:
>>>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886
>>
>> I wonder if this is the same technology used for events like the Tour
>> de France?
>
>I doubt it - they use a team of highly skilled (motor)bike cameramen and a
>satellite link. I doubt the torch relay can stretch to that.

The torch relay only has one person they need to film, so in that sense
it's simpler. But it goes on for 70days, which is a bit longer than the
TdF.
--
Roland Perry

On 31/05/2012 12:42, Alan LeHun wrote:
> In article<cbidneAuUf_dzVrSnZ2dnUVZ7rGdnZ2d@bt.com>, MB@nospam.nospam
> says...
>> I would have thought there would be advantages in using a number of
>> antenna because it could give a form of space diversity.
>>
>
> Maybe, but I could surmise that they will be using a high-tech (ie high-
> expense) solution to maximise performance. A single antenna would be 1/8
> the cost, and any losses incurred in using just one would be fairly
> minimal. This is all a bit simplistic however but the original point
> remains. They can use just one if they wish.
>
>


Might be a coincidence but I think there were two rows of four identical
antenna on the roof of the media van.

On 31/05/2012 13:08, tim.... wrote:
> "Chris Blunt"<mail@nospam.com> wrote in message
> news:nukds7dqmltrs2eqtsrafitcd75d02hrg9@4ax.com...
>> On Wed, 30 May 2012 09:03:32 +0100, Graham.<me@privacy.net> wrote:
>>
>>> http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-18143886
>>
>> I wonder if this is the same technology used for events like the Tour
>> de France?
>
> I doubt it - they use a team of highly skilled (motor)bike cameramen and a
> satellite link. I doubt the torch relay can stretch to that.
>
>> I'm always very impressed with the quality of TV coverage
>> the French networks come up with for that.
>>
>> Chris
>
>


How many hours a day does the Tour de France last? The torch relay
seems to start around 0700h and often does not finish until nearly 1900h
(some days after that). It is running for 80 days.

There will be money in selling coverage of the Tour de France which will
pay for the coverage, the torch relay seems to have quite a lot of
people watching online but I would not have thought there was a great
deal of money in selling the coverage.

In message <rfadnRgdbuzz91rSnZ2dnUVZ8lqdnZ2d@bt.com>, at 13:56:14 on
Thu, 31 May 2012, MB <MB@nospam.nospam> remarked:
>Might be a coincidence but I think there were two rows of four
>identical antenna on the roof of the media van.

Makes sense. If you've got eight of most of the data link, why create a
single point of failure by having just one aerial.
--
Roland Perry