Vertical: Sports and Motorsports
Application: Real-time telemetry, live video streaming, race operations management, fan engagement
Ecosystem: Nokia, WDC Networks, AudaceTech, Veloci Group
Private Network: 5G
| Nokia brings mission-critical connectivity to Brazil’s premier motorsport series. The itinerant private 5G network supports 34 race cars traveling at speeds up to 250 km/h across 12 championship stages, enabling real-time telemetry, 4K video streaming, and enhanced fan experiences while operating completely independently of public mobile operators. |
The Brazilian Stock Car Pro Series has deployed a Nokia private 5G network to support real-time data transmission and operations across its 2026 championship season. The infrastructure, implemented in partnership with WDC Networks and AudaceTech, enables high-speed telemetry from 34 race cars while simultaneously streaming live 4K video to fans through the official Paddock Fan mobile app. The network travels to all 12 stages of the championship, providing mission-critical connectivity at racing venues across Brazil.
Nokia, which has deployed more than 1,000 private enterprise networks globally, selected the n78 band AirScale Small Cell Outdoor radios for this motorsports application. The deployment represents one of the most technically challenging mobile implementations in Brazilian sports, with devices transmitting critical data at racing speeds while maintaining low latency and high reliability. According to the organizers, the private network operates entirely independently of public cellular infrastructure, ensuring race operations continue even during commercial network outages.
| Metric | Detail |
| Network type | Private 5G (n78 band) |
| Spectrum | n78 band |
| Equipment | Nokia AirScale Small Cell Outdoor radios |
| Devices | 34 race cars, 136 cameras (4 per car), multiple sensors per vehicle |
| Peak speeds | 600 Mbps download, 500 Mbps upload per cell |
| Vendor(s) | Nokia, WDC Networks, AudaceTech |
| Coverage | 12 championship stages across Brazil (itinerant deployment) |
| Timeline | 2026 season (deployed through June, operational across all stages) |
| Results | 20+ cars connected per cell with fluid handover at 250 km/h |
Motorsports Environment Demands Mission-Critical Connectivity
The Brazilian Stock Car Championship operates at multiple venues during the 2026 season, with races featuring high-speed competition that generates massive volumes of telemetry and video data. Each of the 34 cars in the series now carries four cameras capturing 4K resolution images, alongside multiple sensors monitoring vehicle performance, driver inputs, and track position. Legacy motorsports connectivity solutions typically deliver only 10 to 12 Mbps throughput using technologies like Wi-Fi or digital video broadcast systems, which proved insufficient for the Stock Car series’ requirements. Similar challenges have driven private 5G deployments at large event venues where dense user populations and high-bandwidth applications overwhelm public network capacity.
The Stock Car deployment addresses multiple stakeholders simultaneously. Race judges require real-time access to on-board camera feeds for incident review and competition decisions. Teams need continuous telemetry streams to monitor vehicle performance and make strategic choices during races. The Confederacao Brasileira de Automobilismo (CBA), Brazil’s motorsports governing body, depends on reliable data transmission for regulatory compliance. Fans accessing the Paddock Fan app expect high-quality live streams and interactive features that public 4G networks at crowded racing venues historically failed to deliver. According to Simei Pessoa, chief technology officer of Veloci Group, the Stock Car controller, the organization needed mission-critical infrastructure that could not depend on third-party networks. The approach mirrors dedicated stadium systems for broadcasting where media production requires guaranteed network performance separate from consumer traffic.
Itinerant Network Design Follows Championship Circuit
Unlike fixed-venue deployments, the Stock Car private 5G network travels to each of the championship’s 12 stages throughout the 2026 season. An itinerant truck divided into three sections accompanies the series: a data center compartment housing core network equipment, a race operations room for team and timing officials, and a judges’ evaluation room for competition stewards. The mobile infrastructure requires three days to assemble and commission at each new circuit, with technicians from WDC Networks and AudaceTech managing the deployment logistics. The network includes its own backhaul connections and operator links to complement connectivity, ensuring redundant paths for critical data even at remote racing venues. This portable approach shares similarities with mobile military communication nodes designed for rapid field deployment and autonomous operation.
Initial field tests of the system exceeded performance targets, with measurements recording up to 600 Mbps downlink and more than 500 Mbps uplink speeds per cell, even with multiple units operating simultaneously. Renato Bueno, director of mobile networks at Nokia for the corporate market in Latin America, confirmed that average speeds approach 600 Mbps downlink and 500 Mbps uplink in operational racing conditions. The network routinely supports 20 cars connected per cell with fluid handover as vehicles transition between radio coverage zones at speeds reaching 250 km/h. Each car carries a SIM card with a dedicated 5G router that maintains connectivity to the private network infrastructure throughout the race. The system was validated during the fifth stage of the 2026 season at Autodromo Internacional de Mato Grosso in Cuiaba on June 19 and 20, and was showcased at the MPN Forum event organized by Mobile Time in Sao Paulo on June 16.
Four Cameras Per Car Enable New Judging and Fan Experiences
The high-bandwidth capabilities of the private 5G network allowed Stock Car organizers to equip all 34 race cars with four cameras each, a total of 136 cameras operating across the field simultaneously. The cameras capture 4K resolution video that serves multiple purposes: race judges access live feeds for real-time incident review and penalty decisions, teams monitor on-board perspectives for strategic insights, and fans with Paddock Fan app subscriptions can select which car’s viewpoint to watch during races. Previously, limited bandwidth restricted the number of on-board cameras and forced organizers to prioritize which vehicles received video equipment. The private network eliminates those constraints, providing equal coverage across the entire field and democratizing access to premium content for fans. Comparable deployments have enhanced spectator experiences at other sporting venues, including private 5G systems supporting live broadcasting at athletics championships where multiple simultaneous events generate competing demands for wireless capacity.
Beyond video, the network transmits comprehensive telemetry data from sensors distributed throughout each race car. Teams receive real-time information on engine parameters, tire temperatures, fuel consumption, aerodynamic loads, and driver inputs. This data flows continuously to pit crews and engineers in the operations room, enabling dynamic race strategy adjustments based on current vehicle performance and competitor behavior. The low latency of the 5G connection ensures minimal delay between sensor readings in the car and data visualization on team displays, critical when making split-second decisions at racing speeds. According to Bruno Rigatieri, commercial director of WDC Networks, the private network delivers the low latency, high uplink rate, and security that Stock Car operations demand. The Stock Car challenge demonstrates that private networks can be applied to any scenario involving moving objects, validating the technology for potential future applications in logistics, public transportation, and emergency services.
Network Autonomy Ensures Continuity During Public Outages
A core design principle for the Stock Car private 5G deployment was complete operational independence from Brazil’s public mobile operators. Simei Pessoa emphasized that the organization’s responsibility is to provide mission-critical infrastructure that cannot depend on a third party. In practical terms, the race can continue, telemetry remains operational, and on-board camera feeds continue transmitting to judges even if all commercial cellular networks in the region experience outages. This autonomy proves particularly valuable at major racing events that attract tens of thousands of spectators, whose smartphones and tablets can overwhelm local cell towers and degrade service quality. The dedicated spectrum and isolated network architecture prevent consumer traffic from impacting race-critical communications. Similar independence drives private 5G deployments at Brazilian industrial facilities where production continuity cannot tolerate dependence on shared public infrastructure.
Renato Bueno noted that deploying a private 5G network for Stock Car Brasil, in an activity with intense data demand and devices at speed transmitting critical data simultaneously, requires a combination of cutting-edge technology and expertise in private 5G network solutions. Nokia’s involvement validates the potential of its private network portfolio, and the company expressed pride in supporting AudaceTech and Stock Car Brasil in adding value to national motorsports. The great difference with private 5G, Bueno explained, is the mission-critical application where the network cannot compete with anyone in the air, referring to spectrum sharing and interference. Nokia gives the organization autonomy to operate its own infrastructure without depending on public operators, a value proposition increasingly attractive to enterprises across multiple verticals including Brazilian port operations and transportation hubs where operational reliability outweighs cost considerations.
Technical Architecture Supports High-Mobility Scenarios
Nokia selected its AirScale Small Cell Outdoor radios operating in the n78 band for the Stock Car deployment, balancing coverage area with the high capacity needed to support dozens of simultaneous device connections. The n78 band, part of the 3.3 to 3.8 GHz range commonly used for 5G mid-band deployments globally, provides a favorable combination of propagation characteristics and available bandwidth. Small cells positioned around the racing circuit create overlapping coverage zones that enable seamless handover as cars transition from one cell to another at 250 km/h. The handover process, critical to maintaining uninterrupted telemetry and video streams, has been validated through multiple race weekends with 20 or more cars connected per cell. Each vehicle’s 5G router handles the radio-layer handoff between cells while the core network maintains session continuity, ensuring zero packet loss during transitions.
The network architecture includes on-site core network functions housed in the mobile data center truck, eliminating dependence on backhaul to distant data centers that would introduce unacceptable latency. Local core deployment allows user-plane traffic to remain within the racing venue, with only management and internet-bound traffic traversing external connections. This edge-computing approach proves essential for real-time applications where even 20 to 30 milliseconds of additional latency would impact operational effectiveness. For the CEO of WDC Networks, Vanderlei Rigatieri, the experience in motorsports demonstrates that this type of structure can be applied in other environments that need fast and secure connection in real time. The technical lessons from high-mobility racing scenarios inform network designs for industrial automation, warehouse logistics, and smart-city applications where devices move rapidly through coverage areas while maintaining constant connectivity.
Broader Industry Context and Future Applications
The Stock Car deployment represents the first private 5G network dedicated to motorsports in Brazil and one of relatively few racing applications globally. An earlier 2017 demonstration at Las Vegas Motor Speedway by Nokia, Alphabet, and Qualcomm showcased CBRS spectrum with private LTE delivering 360-degree 4K video from race cars, establishing technical feasibility for high-bandwidth motorsports applications but not implementing a production system. The Brazilian Stock Car network advances beyond these precedents by deploying a full-scale production system supporting an entire racing season across multiple venues, validating both the technology and the operational model for itinerant private cellular networks.
For Stock Car CEO Fernando Julianelli, the 5G connectivity is part of a broader platform modernization that includes advanced engineering resources like movable carbon fiber wings suitable for competition. The purpose is to bring even more competitiveness to drivers and excitement to the public. Enzo Bortoleto, CEO of AudaceTech, noted the deployment required years of work and high investment, integrating different areas, nationalities, and cutting-edge companies. Beyond motorsports, the technologies and operational practices proven in the Stock Car deployment have direct applicability to transportation logistics, emergency response, and industrial operations where high-mobility devices generate mission-critical data streams. As private 5G adoption accelerates across Latin America, the Brazilian racing deployment provides a high-profile reference case demonstrating network performance under demanding real-world conditions.
| “With Nokia private 5G, Stock Car is taking race connectivity to a new level. The network enables real-time telemetry, live video and audio transmission from cars in motion, and faster decision-making during races, all while helping us create a more engaging digital experience for fans. In a high-speed motorsports environment, this dedicated 5G connectivity gives us the performance, reliability and flexibility we need to innovate on and beyond the track.” Simei Pessoa, Innovation Advisor, Veloci Group |
| “Deploying a private 5G network for Stock Car Brasil, in an activity with intense data demand, and with devices at speed transmitting critical data simultaneously, requires a combination of cutting-edge technology and expertise in private 5G network solutions. This project validates the potential of Nokia solutions, and we are proud to, together with WDC, be able to support AudaceTech and Stock Car Brasil in adding value to national motorsports.” Renato Bueno, Director of Enterprise Sales, Nokia Latin America |
| “Our responsibility here is to provide a mission-critical infrastructure that cannot depend on a third party. If all operators in Sao Paulo stop, the event continues, the telemetry doesn’t drop and the on-boards continue to the commissioners.” Simei Pessoa, Chief Technology Officer, Veloci Group |
| “The network allows delivering low latency, high uplink rate and security. In practice, the Stock Car challenge shows that private networks can be applied in any other scenarios of moving objects.” Bruno Rigatieri, Commercial Director, WDC Networks |
| “The experience in motorsports shows that this type of structure can be applied in other environments that need fast and secure connection in real time.” Vanderlei Rigatieri, Chief Executive Officer, WDC Networks |
| KEY INSIGHT: The Brazilian Stock Car private 5G deployment validates that mission-critical wireless networks can support high-mobility scenarios with dozens of simultaneous high-bandwidth connections, providing a technical blueprint for transportation logistics, emergency response, and industrial applications where devices transmit critical data while moving at high speeds. |
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Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: What spectrum band does the Brazilian Stock Car private 5G network use?
The network operates on the n78 band using Nokia AirScale Small Cell Outdoor radios. This mid-band spectrum provides favorable propagation characteristics and sufficient bandwidth to support 34 race cars with four cameras each plus multiple sensors, delivering up to 600 Mbps downlink speeds.
Q2: How many cameras does each Stock Car vehicle carry?
Each of the 34 race cars carries four cameras capturing 4K resolution video, totaling 136 cameras across the field. The high-bandwidth private 5G network enables simultaneous streaming from all cameras to race judges, teams, and fans accessing the Paddock Fan mobile app.
Q3: What happens to Stock Car race operations if public cellular networks fail?
The private 5G network operates completely independently of Brazil’s public mobile operators. Race telemetry, on-board camera feeds, and all critical communications continue functioning even if commercial cellular networks experience outages, ensuring uninterrupted competition and judging operations throughout the event.
Q4: How fast do Stock Car race vehicles travel while connected to the 5G network?
The Stock Car Pro Series vehicles reach speeds up to 250 km/h while maintaining continuous 5G connectivity. The network routinely supports 20 or more cars connected per cell with fluid handover as vehicles transition between coverage zones at racing speeds.
Q5: How long does it take to deploy the itinerant network at each racing venue?
The mobile private 5G infrastructure requires three days to assemble and commission at each of the 12 championship stages. An itinerant truck carrying data center equipment, race operations facilities, and judges’ rooms accompanies the series throughout the 2026 season.
Q6: What uplink and downlink speeds does the Stock Car private 5G network achieve?
Field measurements recorded up to 600 Mbps downlink and more than 500 Mbps uplink per cell, with operational averages approaching those figures. These speeds far exceed legacy motorsports connectivity solutions that typically delivered only 10 to 12 Mbps using Wi-Fi or broadcast technologies.
