Ericsson and SoftBank Successfully Demonstrate Five Concurrent Use Cases Using 5G SA and mmWave at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix

Ericsson Japan Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Ericsson") has successfully conducted a demonstration of advanced communication services using 5G Standalone (SA) and millimeter wave (mmWave) technologies together with SoftBank Corp. (hereinafter "SoftBank") at the "2026 FIA Formula 1 World Championship Series Aramco Japanese Grand Prix" (hereinafter "F1 Japanese Grand Prix") held at Suzuka Circuit in Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture. This demonstration achieved the highest number in Japan for the number of network slices used simultaneously during an event※1.

This trial was conducted as part of a joint sponsorship initiative by Ericsson and SoftBank as event supporters of the F1 Japanese Grand Prix. During the demonstration, both companies built five independent network slices—including mmWave radio—on SoftBank’s commercial network and delivered them simultaneously to users within the venue. This enabled purpose-optimized communications while significantly improving network capacity and overall communication quality for general attendees.

Background and Overview of the Demonstration

At large-scale events, diverse communication demands arise simultaneously, including social media posting, video streaming and uploading, broadcast transmission by organizers, and cashless payments. This demonstration verified the effectiveness of "network control"—optimizing communication quality based on usage—on SoftBank’s commercial network within the F1 Japanese Grand Prix venue.

【Five Demonstrated Use Cases】

High-Quality Communication for 5G SA Users: Increased radio bandwidth allocation for SoftBank 5G SA subscribers to enhance communication quality

XR: Provided a dedicated slice for XR experience zones requiring high bandwidth and ultra-low latency

Cashless Payment Support: Delivered stable private 5G connectivity to payment terminals at select vendors

mmWave Backhaul Public Wi-Fi: Offered public Wi-Fi service via Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) to SoftBank and Y!mobile users

mmWave 5G Wireless Camera Video Transmission: Provided wireless cameras and video transmission infrastructure to broadcasters for live coverage

Key Demonstration Results

1. Significant Performance Improvements via Massive MIMO and 5G SA, Supporting Massive Concurrent Connections

To support the simultaneous operation of five use cases, the companies deployed the energy-efficient, high-capacity triple-band compatible "Massive MIMO (AIR6476)" and added mmWave-capable radios (AIR1281), combined with meticulous network design※2. As a result, communication speeds and connection capacity improved dramatically compared to the previous year’s event, enabling seamless social media posting and live streaming even during peak traffic. Compared to the 2025 event※, 5G SA users on the SoftBank network saw download speeds increase by 4x and upload speeds by over 14x, while 5G NSA (Non-Standalone) users experienced approximately 1.5x and 6x improvements, respectively. (Figure 1)

※ Comparison based on average values from Saturday and Sunday during the event period

Figure 1: Relative performance improvement of 5G SA SoftBank users in 2026 compared to 2025 at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix

Furthermore, by leveraging network slicing and Ericsson’s proprietary "5G Advanced features" (including throughput control, low-latency optimization, and mmWave control), the companies achieved holistic mobile network optimization—enabling bandwidth, latency control, and optimal resource allocation per use case. While ensuring stable service for general users, critical applications such as video transmission and payment terminals maintained high streaming quality and smooth transaction processing even during weekend congestion. Notably, for latency-sensitive XR applications, the demonstration achieved a 1/10 reduction in downlink radio latency compared to regular 5G SA users at the same time※.

※ Measurement result from daytime on March 27, 2026

2. Automated Optimization at One-Minute Intervals via External Control

At select base stations, the companies demonstrated "self-tuning operations," visualizing slice-specific quality metrics every minute and automatically reallocating resources rapidly and appropriately via external control.

Figure 2 illustrates how service quality maintenance functions operate across network slices. In this example, flexible external control is applied to Slice A and Slice B, each with different quality requirements under varying traffic conditions (normal vs. high traffic). Slice A has higher requirements than Slice B. Under normal traffic, Slice A receives higher scheduling frequency and more bandwidth than Slice B. As traffic increases due to event congestion, the external control system automatically optimizes the network to meet quality requirements under high-traffic conditions. As a result, both Slice A’s higher quality requirements and Slice B’s requirements are continuously satisfied.

Figure 2: Service Optimization Based on Quality Requirements

Future Outlook and Company Statements

Ericsson will accelerate network evolution in collaboration with SoftBank, leveraging insights from this demonstration to deliver optimized communication experiences and create new service value based on specific use cases.

Mr. Akiyuki Oya, Senior Managing Executive Officer and CNO at SoftBank Corp., stated: "This demonstration shows that SoftBank’s network is evolving from providing uniform connectivity to delivering optimized quality based on usage. We have proven that 5G SA network slicing and automated control can simultaneously support multiple use cases even in extremely congested environments, delivering the required quality for each. We will continue expanding these achievements across various domains to create new experiential value."

Mr. Jawad Mansour, President and CEO of Ericsson Japan Co., Ltd., stated:

"The successful simultaneous demonstration of five use cases at the F1 Japanese Grand Prix with SoftBank proves our technological capability to deliver optimal communication quality even under extremely demanding conditions. Looking ahead, we envision expanding these capabilities beyond specific venues to broader geographical areas. Building on this success, we will continue supporting Japan’s industrial and societal digital transformation."

Feature in the Ericsson Mobility Report

The latest edition of the "Ericsson Mobility Report," published regularly by Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) to summarize industry trends and forecasts for mobile networks, features a special article co-authored by SoftBank and Ericsson on this demonstration. For details, please refer to the report※3 via the link below.

※1 Ericsson research (June 17, 2026)

※