The lights are out and away we go with the unveiling of CircuitX at the iconic Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya VIP event on Sunday 1 March, followed by a demo showcase in the New Frontiers zone at Fira Barcelona during MWC26 Barcelona.
This is the impact of an MOU signed at last year’s MWC Barcelona (supported by the GSMA Foundry, Mobile World Capital Barcelona and Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya), to transform the circuit experience with connectivity across travel, safety, fan movement, personalised engagement and race telemetry.
The CircuitX VIP event on the eve of MWC26 Barcelona certainly brought the future of connected motorsport to life with groundbreaking demonstrations; delivering high-speed live data over ultra-low latency networks, drone-enabled safety and crowd monitoring, immersive AR/VR fan experiences, simulated enhanced connectivity through cutting edge antenna technology, remote teledriving and more.
One of the key highlights on the track was Al Kamel Systems, Domo Broadcast, Ericsson, & Semtech, who partnered to enable a live demonstration of vehicle to track communication using 5G, with a mobile enabled camera using a network slice on Telefonica’s 5G network, transmitting live video content from a Formula E car back to CircuitX showcase lounge.
The same technology was tested under race conditions on the track in multiple vehicles in the Porsche Sprint Challenge Southern Europe race the previous day.
CircuitX partners
With thanks to our innovative technology demonstration partners, as well as official connectivity partner Telefónica, providing 5G coverage.
To add to the excitement, Elmo set a new global remote driving speed record of 157 km/h – operating over a live commercial 5G network!
𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗿𝘂𝗻: 150 km/h (controlled trackside)
𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝘂𝗻: 157 km/h – remotely driven from 3,300 km away.
This milestone proves that high-speed, cross-border remote driving is already operational reality – not future speculation.
The Elmo demonstration was made possible using Open Gateway & CAMARA Quality on Demand APIs. These same advanced network capabilities can also be used to deliver enhanced fan experiences such as real time summaries and replays at live events, quickly and without interruption regardless of network congestion.
CircuitX demo showcase at MWC26 Barcelona
At Fira Barcelona, the excitement continued with a demo showcase within the New Frontiers zone, Hall 6.
The innovative CircuitX partners demonstrated the transformative impact that mobile connectivity has on motorsport and fan experiences.
Featuring…
* Al Kamel Systems S.L. (supported by Semtech & Domo Broadcast Systems (DBS): Ultra-low latency for instant incident detection & dynamic race strategies
* BCN Drone Center: Drones for crowd monitoring, emergency response & smart venue security
* Ericsson Enterprise Wireless Solutions: Private 5G networks for secure telemetry, real-time video & low-latency event connectivity
* Formula E: Gen3Evo race car showcase with live telemetry for net-zero performance insights
* INTO REALITY SL: Immersive AR/VR blending physical & digital for enhanced fan experiences
* MatSing: High-capacity RF lens antennas for robust venue wireless coverage & data flow
* NTT DATA: AI-powered ops, safety monitoring & intelligent fan insights
These demos bring CircuitX’s vision to life, transforming motorsport through mobile connectivity!
Some of the sessions during MWC26 Barcelona included…
CircuitX media session
GSMA CEO John Hoffman, Mobile World Capital Barcelona CEO Francesc Fajula de Quintana, and Fira Circuit Director General Ignasi Armengol, led a live partner discussion and media Q&A session, bringing together key partners and industry voices to showcase how CircuitX is transforming the circuit experience through connectivity.
Sports & Entertainment Summit panel
Head of GSMA Foundry Richard Cockle was joined by Leo Matytsine, Executive VP of MatSing, Eric Ernst, Executive Technology Advisor / CTO of Al Kamel Systems, and Regina Andersson, Senior Director, Head of Strategic Partnerships of Ericsson, to explore how connectivity and immersive technologies are revolutionising live sports and entertainment – from event operations to real-time fan engagement.
It was a great experience for the technology innovators who highlighted how CircuitX is accelerating real-world adoption of mobile technologies, and for those who witnessed it. Thank you to everyone who joined us at the VIP event and / or visited the CircuitX stand during the show and made this milestone moment possible.
This journey is not over – Let’s keep building the connected future of motorsport together!
Interested in finding out more?
To stay up-to-date with the latest CircuitX news, and / or to register interest in opportunities to participate in the project, please visit the CircuitX page and complete the Enquiry Form, and the team will get back to you.
