BT and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society are using 5G+ network slicing at this year’s Royal Welsh Show to help power mission-critical services, support local businesses and enable real-time content sharing at one of the UK’s largest agricultural events.
From helping Welsh food and drink businesses process payments during peak trading periods to enabling reliable livestreaming and real-time content sharing, the technology demonstrates how 5G+ can support enhanced experiences for both organisations and consumers, even in the busiest environments.
Alongside providing customers with more reliable and faster mobile experiences in the busiest locations and at peak times, 5G+ – EE’s most powerful form of 5G connectivity – enables new capabilities such as network slicing, which delivers a dedicated, protected slice of the mobile network for specific use-cases, ensuring performance isn’t impacted if the public network is congested.
At the Royal Welsh Show, BT is supporting multiple connections via network slicing – demonstrating the game-changing impact it can deliver to both consumers and businesses as the company prepares to launch its first slicing services for customers later this Summer. Bringing a 5G+ slice to the Show marks one of the first large-scale public demonstrations of how 5G network slicing can support both business-critical applications and enhanced customer experiences in busy real-world environments.
For businesses, network slicing ensures peace-of-mind for connectivity that underpins mission-critical operations. At the Royal Welsh Show, which typically attracts up to 250,000 visitors over its four-day run, BT’s 5G+ network slice will power mobile payments systems for Radnor Hills and Fire and Flank, two independent Welsh food and drink companies, ensuring they can keep the queues moving, customers happy, and sales flowing.
Chris Butler, Marketing Manager, Radnor Hills, said: “The Royal Welsh Show is one of the most important events in our calendar, both as a proud Welsh business and a long-standing supporter of the Show itself. With thousands of visitors stopping by our stands every day, dependable connectivity for our payment systems is essential to keeping queues moving and making sure customers can quickly grab a drink and get back to enjoying their day. Having a dedicated 5G+ network slice gives us greater confidence that we can continue serving people smoothly, even during the busiest periods – helping us keep visitors refreshed and hydrated throughout the event.”
David Evans, Founder and Director, Fire and Flank, said: “This is our first time exhibiting at the Royal Welsh Show, so we’re excited to introduce Fire & Flank to such a large audience. When demand is high, the last thing any business wants is connectivity issues slowing down card payments or creating long queues. Reliable connectivity for our ePOS systems helps us serve customers quickly, deliver a great experience and focus on what matters most – sharing our food with visitors. It’s reassuring to know that the technology powering our payments is designed to perform, even in one of the busiest event environments in Wales.”
The demonstration reflects growing demand from organisations for more resilient and predictable connectivity to support critical operations, particularly in high-footfall or high-demand environments.
BT is also using network slicing to support the Royal Welsh Show’s digital engagement activities, enabling both 2026 Show Ambassador Teleri-Haf Thomas and the RWS team itself to livestream and upload content reliably even when tens of thousands of visitors are on site.
Aled Jones, Chief Executive, Royal Welsh Agricultural Society, said: “The Royal Welsh Show is about bringing together hundreds of thousands of people from across Wales and beyond, and connectivity has become an increasingly important part of that experience. From supporting exhibitors and traders to helping our team deliver the event safely and efficiently, reliable mobile connectivity plays a vital role. Working with BT to showcase 5G+ network slicing demonstrates how next-generation mobile technology can support critical operations while helping us share the best of Welsh agriculture, food and rural life with audiences both on the Showground and online.”
Adam Price, Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy, Welsh Government, said: “It is important that visitors and businesses alike experience high-quality digital connectivity at nationally significant events like the Royal Welsh Show. BT and the Royal Welsh Agricultural Society have committed to ensuring the event benefits from world-class technology and I am pleased Welsh Government collaboration has helped to make this possible.”
Greg McCall, Chief Security and Networks Officer, BT, said: “Whether it’s buying food and drink from local traders, sharing moments from the Show on social media, or following the action online, people increasingly expect seamless connectivity wherever they are. At this year’s Royal Welsh Show, we’re demonstrating how 5G+ network slicing can help deliver exactly that. By providing dedicated, high-performance connectivity for specific applications, we’re helping businesses keep payments flowing, enabling reliable livestreaming and content uploads, and showing how next-generation mobile technology can support better experiences for organisations and consumers alike.”
BT’s 5G+ upgrades to the Showground and neighbouring mast in Builth Wells form part of its wider investment in digital infrastructure across Wales. Since 2020, BT has invested more than £500 million in mobile and fixed connectivity across the country, helping to deliver faster, more resilient connectivity for communities, businesses and visitors. The Royal Welsh Show deployment demonstrates how next-generation technologies such as network slicing can help unlock new opportunities for organisations that depend on reliable, high-performance connectivity.