ALAMEDA, Calif.—Clear-Com has released the results of a pre-launch field trial of FreeSpeak Cell during Carnival 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Conducted in partnership with Brazilian systems integrator Savana Comunicações, the proof of concept demonstrated how cellular-based intercom can provide reliable, wide-area communications for broadcast teams operating in a demanding live production environments.
The field trial was conducted before the commercial launch of FreeSpeak Cell. It provided an opportunity to evaluate the cellular-based wireless intercom solution in one of the world's most demanding live production environments. The results demonstrated the system's ability to provide wide-area mobility and reliable communications for broadcast teams operating amid an exceptionally high concentration of people, mobile devices and wireless systems.
Four FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks were deployed during live Carnival coverage at the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome. The deployment gave camera operators and reporters the freedom to move throughout the venue while maintaining communication with production teams.
Carnival presented an especially challenging environment for wireless communications with a massive concentration of people, mobile devices and wireless systems throughout the Sambadrome. FreeSpeak Cell operates over 4G LTE and 5G cellular networks, providing wide-area mobility without the need for conventional localized RF infrastructure.
“This deployment gave us an opportunity to put FreeSpeak Cell through its paces in a particularly demanding live production environment,” said João Pedro Machado Homem, CTO at Savana Comunicações. “The results demonstrated the potential of cellular intercom to give broadcast teams greater freedom to move while maintaining the reliable communications workflows they depend on. It is an exciting application of cellular technology for professional production communications.”
For the proof of concept, Savana configured an Eclipse HX digital matrix running an EHX software version supporting FreeSpeak Cell. The broadcaster’s existing Eclipse systems were operating on an earlier software version, so Savana established a trunk connection between the updated Eclipse HX system and the existing intercom infrastructure.
This configuration allowed the FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks to integrate into the broadcaster’s established communications workflow, demonstrating how cellular intercom can complement existing Clear-Com infrastructure.
The four beltpacks were deployed across three days of Carnival broadcasts. During the first two days, camera operators used the beltpacks while moving throughout the Sambadrome. On the third day, the units supported IFB and return communication for reporters. The deployment enabled production personnel to move freely throughout the Carnival parade route without being constrained by the coverage limitations of a traditional localized wireless system.
The initial deployment used a dedicated network slice provided by Brazilian telecommunications operator TIM. The dedicated network slice gave the broadcaster access to an isolated portion of the cellular network, separate from the thousands of consumer devices simultaneously accessing the network at the venue.
Additional testing was also conducted using the standard public cellular network without network slicing. Even while sharing the network with other attendees, the FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks continued to perform successfully.
“This was an important part of the proof of concept because we wanted to understand how FreeSpeak Cell would perform under different network conditions,” said Homem. “The system performed extremely well, both using a dedicated network slice and when operating on the standard public cellular network. The mobility and flexibility it provided were particularly impressive to the production teams.”
Following the successful Carnival deployment, the broadcaster’s sports division conducted additional tests during live soccer matches at two separate venues. For these deployments, the team used standard SIM cards purchased locally on the day of each event and installed them directly into the FreeSpeak Cell beltpacks. The system operated successfully at both venues, demonstrating the ability to deploy cellular intercom quickly without requiring dedicated RF infrastructure at each location.
More information is available on the company’s website.
