NICOLA PALMER

Senior vice president of technology and product development
Verizon Wireless

Nicola Palmer is playing a central role in the efforts of sports venues to provide fans with new and improved tech-based experiences when they attend games and even when they watch at home.

Earlier this year, Verizon and the NBA partnered up to create a high-speed network connecting all of the 29 NBA host arenas through Verizon’s fiber network. Palmer said the work will allow the league to offer 1080p resolution on all broadcasts and support multiple cameras being installed in NBA arenas. Network bandwidth will grow tenfold and offer full redundancy, she said. Verizon also has a partnership with the NFL to develop new products and services that use 5G technology “to unlock new ways for fans to view, share and engage with their favorite teams,” Palmer said.

 “We see an exciting, tech-enabled future for fans in these stadiums and venues,” she said.

Palmer said 5G networks bring a breadth of new possibilities to the overall fan experience. In addition to equipping venues with 5G, for instance, she said Verizon has partnered with the NFL to study mobile gaming with 5G. 

Customers, she said, “are finding new ways to integrate their time spent in-venue with their online lives.” 

“The low latency, high speeds and throughput of 5G networks usher in new opportunities to augment fans’ viewing environment with stats, views and various XR encounters during the event,” Palmer said. “We are on the forefront of this new technology — not simply observing the trend, but shaping it.”