RTL Deutschland validates 5G-based intercom at Nürburgring with Clear-Com

The Nürburgring test demonstrates that cellular-based intercom can replace traditional DECT antenna deployments across large-scale outdoor production environments — a category where RF coordination has long been an operational constraint. By integrating with RTL's existing communications workflow and using both private campus and public 5G networks, the proof of concept shows that a single cellular infrastructure layer can carry intercom alongside other production traffic without complex on-site RF setup. Clear-Com positioned the test as validation for the broader broadcast industry, with Sales Manager Alex Hemme calling it "a strong signal to the entire broadcast industry." Watch whether RTL deploys FreeSpeak Cell at additional remote productions beyond the Nürburgring.

Clear-Com unveiled FreeSpeak Cell at NAB 2026 on April 17, 2026, positioning it as a response to increasing congestion in UHF, DECT, and Wi-Fi bands at large venues (per Sports Video Group, April 2026). The system supports 100 or more beltpacks, offers dual SIM capability for private and public network access, and operates across 700–900 MHz and 1700–4200 MHz bands. At launch, FreeSpeak Cell integrates with Clear-Com's Eclipse HX digital matrix platform, with Arcadia Central Station integration expected within months and Gen-IC cloud platform support planned for later in 2026 (per Clear-Com, April 2026).

The Nürburgring deployment builds on an established 5G partnership between RTL Deutschland and Deutsche Telekom. In June 2024, Deutsche Telekom installed a private 5G standalone campus network at RTL's Cologne-Deutz broadcasting center — the first such deployment for a German media company — covering over 35,000 square meters with dedicated spectrum in the 3.7–3.8 GHz range (per Deutsche Telekom, June 2024). That network was initially used for wireless camera operations during UEFA EURO 2024 and was designed to support wireless microphones and intercom as future use cases.

RTL has since expanded its private 5G production footprint beyond the Cologne studio. For the RTL Deutschland Spendenmarathon, the broadcaster deployed Vislink INCAM-GV 5G transmitters on Grass Valley LDX 110 cameras over a private 5G network, supporting live video contribution, camera control, shading via AMPP, tally, and return video as native production resources (per Vislink case study, 2025). The FreeSpeak Cell test at the Nürburgring extends this same private 5G strategy to intercom, suggesting RTL is moving toward a unified cellular infrastructure layer for multiple production-critical systems at remote venues.