• GiveVision is testing a new headset at Wimbledon that offers a better viewing experience for the visually impaired.
• Rather than a transmitter box, the technology uses 5G connectivity.
• The headset gives viewers better control of the action they’re watching.

Wimbledon has been on the go since the end of June and on Sunday the tennis tournament comes to a conclusion.

However, throughout the tournament technology has been a central feature for many attendees looking to enjoy some tennis played on grass. This is because Vodafone and GiveVision have been testing a new piece of tech that gives the visually impaired a better look at the action on court.

That new piece of tech is a GiveVision headset that utilises 5G to enhance the view of fans in the grandstands.

Essentially, tennis fans who may struggle with their vision can strap on a GiveVision headset and enjoy the match by enhancing the footage to suit their vision profile. Previous versions of the headset required a wearer to stay within 20m of a transmitter box, but 5G means the box can be removed as the signal can be transmitted throughout the stadium.

“At GiveVision, our mission is to redefine accessibility standards for visually impaired spectators at all UK sports and entertainment venues. By working with Vodafone and using their 5G network, we’re improving stadium accessibility without any infrastructure changes, giving visually impaired tennis fans an immersive experience at the prestigious Wimbledon Championships,” Elodie Draperi, chief executive officer at GiveVision said in a statement.

Vodafone does however temper expectations by stating that this solution does rely on 5G and coverage of the connectivity standard can vary wildly from area to area.

When it works though, it reportedly works quite well and users can even focus on specific parts of the action.

“As a visually impaired tennis player and a huge tennis fan, I can’t put into words how I feel at the moment. Being able to track the ball, see the spin and focus on all the finer details is a real game-changer – it’s amazing,” Ivan Rodriguez Deb said of using the headset.

While much of the hype surrounding 5G is the speed it offers up, the real draw for many businesses is the lower latency the connectivity standard offers up. On a well configured network, latency can be lower than 1ms which is vital for mission critical operations. It’s also rather useful in situations such as a live sporting event or controlling robots in a mine from the safety of an office.

These headsets have been used at football events and Crystal Palace FC will become the first football club to implement the headsets ahead of the next Premier League season.

This is just a great application of technology to help folks feel more included in social events such as Wimbledon. While strapping a bulky headset onto your face is going to have downsides, we’d argue that if it helps folks have a good time, it may just be a good enough trade-off.

Hopefully, however, headset technology can be slimmed down in future.