The Show Within the Show
Las Vegas Grand Prix with T-Mobile for Business
At the Formula 1 Las Vegas Grand Prix, I had the opportunity to be on the ground all week with T-Mobile for Business, talking to emergency management teams, infrastructure technicians, and even McLaren Racing CEO Zak Brown.
From immersive 360° race views to real-time event coordination and priority connectivity for first responders, T-Mobile’s network is critical to making every aspect of the race weekend a success.
T-Mobile’s network supported everything from private 5G cores and ultra-low latency video production to prioritized public safety access and faster fan entry using technology like:
• 5G-connected cameras + Skydio drones
• T-Mobile’s T-Priority tech keeps public safety comms moving
• SuperMobile supports critical event operations
Our first conversation of the week was with Assistant Sheriff Dori Koren of the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, during which we discussed how T-Priority supports one of the most advanced drone programs in the country and provides officers and first responders with priority access to a reliable, fast network.
With prioritized access on T-Mobile’s network, LVMPD teams can operate with real-time confidence even in congested environments, helping keep 300,000+ safe.
My second conversation of the week was with someone who personifies what partnerships mean in modern Formula 1: McLaren Racing CEO, Zak Brown.
McLaren is partnered with T-Mobile, so Zak is very familiar with its connectivity and reliable speeds. What stood out to me most, both on camera and a little off, is how much Zak believes it’s about people AND technology working together to create a winning culture.
When 300,000 fans are heading for the gates, the last thing anyone wants is long queues because of spotty connectivity.
I got to talk with Scott Jacka, T-Mobile‘s Director of Technology and Innovation, about how reliable 5G is helping streamline fan entry.
Using 5G-connected handheld scanners and network slicing, T-Mobile’s Advanced Network Solutions helped maintain reliable connectivity so ticket scanning stayed responsive, and fans kept moving.
In live production, timing is everything, especially when fans are watching it unfold on massive screens meant to add a live, complementary element.
When I spoke with Jason Schnellbacher, Technology Strategy Lead for T-Mobile, about how ultra-low latency camera connectivity is powering the Campus Show.
By deploying Edge Control and local network routing with QoS, T-Mobile achieved a mind-boggling 80ms glass-to-glass latency, enabling producers to switch between fiber and wireless cameras in perfect sync. All running on a private network, deployed in days, and built to move video at speed without dropping a single packet.
Leaving Las Vegas, the roar of the engines and the insane Sphere are memorable, but I walked away with a new appreciation for the seamless orchestration of the event and the technology that underpins everything.
My conversations this week revealed a common thread: Confidence.
Confidence that the drones will fly when needed.
Confidence that the ticket scanners won’t lag.
Confidence that the broadcast feed stays perfectly synced.
T-Mobile for Business provided that confidence through the “SuperMobile” network. By connecting the emergency teams, the fans, and the racing operations, T-Mobile proved that in the modern era of Formula 1, the most critical team member might be the network itself.