Patrouille des Glaciers

A European first at the Patrouille des Glaciers: 5G live streaming by Swisscom

Switzerland’s best network will help ensure the safety of the athletes at the toughest race in the high Alpine region. The Telecoms Department of the Swiss Army is responsible for the construction of a temporary mobile phone network in the high alpine terrain. Swisscom has partnered the Patrouille des Glaciers (PdG) for 20 years and is celebrating this anniversary with a live stream from over 3,000 m above sea level, broadcast via 5G.

By Christian Neuhaus
The picture shows athletes on touring skis in the mountains.

This will be a European first for a 5G live stream broadcast from over 3,000 m above sea level. In collaboration with the Telecoms Department of the Swiss Army, Swisscom has equipped the entire route with 4G, with 5G capacity expansion over the first and the last kilometre. The live stream will be broadcast via 5G on blue TV, Canal9 and – for the first time - RTS. Audiences can watch the race live on Saturday, 20 April on Blue Zoom, Canal9, RTS 2 and Play RTS. Swisscom is proud to make this possible and to showcase Switzerland’s premium network at the PdG, demonstrating that Swisscom also offers the best and most innovative network in the mountains.

20 years – a special anniversary

Swisscom has been partnering the PdG event for 20 years and this year will be the tenth time that it has set up the mobile network along the course, in collaboration with the Telecoms Department of the Swiss Army. As well as increasing the safety of the athletes and organisers, it also provides them with the best network in Switzerland at over 3,000 m above sea level. Around three tonnes of material – base stations, antennas, repeaters and other telecommunications equipment - will be transported to the mountains by the Swiss Air Force before the race. Construction and operation of the network at these altitudes pushes the boundaries for both people and technology. In addition, the “Swisscom Patrouille des Glaciers” app will once again give fans the opportunity to experience the excitement up close. Offering live tracking and 360-degree images along the route, the app is available free of charge from the App Store https://apps.apple.com/ch/app/patrouille-des-glaciers-pdg/id509160155(opens in new tab) and Play Store https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.swisscom.pdg(opens in new tab).

Swisscom and Canal9 are now collaborating with RTS on the television broadcast. RTS will be involved in the co-production of this edition, in particular with joint coverage at the end of the race.

Documentary of the PdG story

The Patrouille des Glaciers race takes place every two years. It is organised by the Swiss Army and run in cooperation with the Fondation de la Patrouille des Glaciers. Swisscom has been helping to ensure the safety of all participants and officials with innovative solutions since 2004. This year, for the third time, it is bringing the live spectacle to TV, Internet and the app. The PdG has military origins and started during the Second World War when the Swiss Army organised the race to test the abilities of its soldiers. After a tragic accident in 1949 involving three fatalities, the PdG was prohibited until 1984, when the race was revived under the highest safety precautions. This story will be captured in a documentary later this year. A film team has been documenting the preparations for months and will also be on site during the race and when the course is being dismantled. The documentary will premiere in autumn 2024.

The official website: PdG: www.pdg.ch(opens in new tab)

Contact us

Media Relations

media@swisscom.com
Tel. +41 58 221 98 04

Latest news about Swisscom