eSports and 5G technology are the two main technological trends for 2020. At least, that was shown by a study by Kantar, a market research company, insights and consultancy. According to them, eSports should maintain their strength for the next few years and follow the current expansion scenario. And the most impressive thing is that this scenario should serve as a driver for the electronic games market in general, which also includes products and services that revolve around this universe.
This means, therefore, that the number of users watching matches and tournaments via streaming will be increasing, downloading mobile games, acquiring major releases from the gaming universe. 5G, on the other hand, represents the next generation of mobile internet, which promises faster data download and upload speed, broader coverage, and more stable connections.
In 2019, for example, there were 453.8 million spectators watching electronic gaming championships. And, even in a crisis scenario, US$ 1.5 billion were handled by this market in Brazil alone - the value represents twice as much as ten years ago.
This panorama turns Brazil into the 13th largest game market in the world, but the expectation is that the country will be among the top 10 in the near future. This estimate is based on a study by PWC, which projected the potential for the sector in the coming years. According to the results obtained, the growth outlook for this market is 5.3% by 2022.
In addition, revenue from smartphone games alone is expected to grow from US$ 324 million to US$ 878 million over the next 3 years. Today, cell phones are the main platform used by fans of electronic games in Brazil, with support chosen by 84% of Brazilians.
Renato Gil, co-founder of Arena Hub, recalled that eSport, the game competitions, will be greatly impacted. "A digital broadcast cannot be a problem because it interferes with the ability to play. Most championships are presential today to guarantee connection speed equal to everyone. With 5G, the connection will match, and players worldwide will be able to play each one from your home."
The 5G, still being tested in Brazil, promises to solve problems of signal loss and delay, and bring other solutions that can even increase income of clubs, broadcasters, sponsors, event organizers and eSports players. The auction for the exploration of this new technology should be carried out by Anatel (National Telecommunications Agency) at the end of the first half of 2021. The promise is an internet broadcast speed up to 100 times faster than 4G, without dropping and delay, with possibilities that will revolutionize the way we are connected.
Since July, telco Claro has been using frequency sharing technology (DSS), which takes advantage of the current spectrum already allocated to the company, to provide 5G access. That is, it uses the same frequency as 4G and 3G to test a little of the new technology.
The network, however, cannot yet enjoy other fundamental advantages of 5G, such as low latency (kind of reaction time between a data packet being sent to the network and returning to the device). Low latency, for example, will make it possible to use technology for autonomous vehicles.
The auction of 5G frequency bands should take place between June and July in four bands: 700 MHz; 2.3 GHz; 3.5 GHz and 26 GHz. The different bands are like different highways through which the data that connects to smartphones and computers circulates. Allianz Parque has been testing at a frequency of 3.5 Ghz. It is the same frequency that 5G already operates in 19 stadiums in the United States and is also testing this technology.
Allianz Parque stadium is the only place in Brazil licensed by Anatel to test 5G. In addition to the music-related event, there was an expectation of taking action with the new technology in football, but it had to be postponed because of the pandemic. "We were going to broadcast games, an insertion that could migrate to football, but it was just a project. The pandemic left it on stand by," said Allianz's director of operations, Mike Willian.
Georgia Sbrana, Ericsson's vice president of corporate affairs for the Southern Cone of Latin America, believes that the use of 5G will take a while to fully function: "Brazil entered the 5G era in July this year with the DSS. Brazil is ready, it was the first country in Latin America to do the tests. In order to mature and expand, we imagine three to four years. If the auction really happens in the first half of 2021, I believe that the amplified experiences will happen between 2023 and 2024.”
Source: GMB / Estadao
