More than 2,000 kilometers. About 30,000 meters of elevation gain. Several days with almost no breaks. And while Sebastian “Basti” Trimborn was cycling around Austria once during the Race Around Austria 2026, he was also tackling a second challenge at the same time: broadcasting as much of it as possible live on the internet. From an athletic standpoint, the mission was quite successful. Trimborn finished in second place after 3 days, 12 hours, and 32 minutes, securing the silver medal.
But from a technical standpoint, too, the project was anything but ordinary. That’s because some of the livestreaming equipment used came from our Livestream Shop: MiNE Media C300 5G Bonding Encoders and MiNE A5 streaming cameras.
A livestream from an event venue is relatively predictable: fixed camera positions, power from an outlet, and, ideally, a stable internet connection. Things are a bit different for the Race Around Austria. The support vehicle drives for hours and days through different regions, valleys, and mountain passes. Cell networks change constantly, available bandwidth fluctuates, and the connection can disappear completely at times.
That’s exactly where Internet bonding gets interesting.
Sebastian Trimborn’s support vehicle was equipped with three cameras, a video switcher, and a MiNE C300 bonding encoder. The internet connection was provided by a combination of several cellular connections and Starlink. The goal: to maintain as continuous a video feed from the car as possible, even while driving. And it worked surprisingly well.
The production process was particularly exciting. That’s because the main production control center wasn’t located in the support vehicle. While one staff member in the car oversaw production on site, the central production control center was operating several kilometers away at the hotel. The signal from the support vehicle was transmitted using a MiNE C300. Using its “pull” function, the stream could be captured again in the remote control room. There, graphics and other content were added, among other things, before the finished program was broadcast again.
In simple terms, the workflow looked like this:
Cameras → Video switcher → C300 in the support vehicle → Internet bonding → Remote control room → Graphics and overall program → C300 → Livestream
This effectively turned a moving support vehicle into a mobile branch of the production control room. The C300’s pull-stream function, in particular, proved to be extremely useful. In addition to HDMI, SDI, and USB cameras, the encoder can also accept existing streams as input.
The MiNE C300 5G Bonding Encoder available in the Livestream Shop is designed specifically for applications like these.
Its primary function is to use multiple Internet connections simultaneously for a live stream. The C300 has four SIM slots—two with 5G and two with 4G—and can also connect to Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and external network adapters. According to the manufacturer, up to eight network connections can be bundled in total.
During the Race Around Austria, this capability was used to combine multiple cellular connections with an additional Internet connection. That’s exactly what’s crucial for mobile productions: if a single connection goes down, the entire livestream shouldn’t disappear right away.
Among other features, the C300 supports 1080p at up to 60 frames per second, H.264 and H.265, as well as streaming protocols such as RTMP, RTMPS, RTSP, and SRT. HDMI, SDI, UVC, and pull streams can be used as sources. An internal battery also enables mobile operation without a constant power supply. In short: quite a few possibilities in a single device that, weighing about 780 grams, still fits easily into a mobile production setup.
The MiNE setup also includes MiNE A5 live cameras. Their application is also a good fit for a race like the Race Around Austria. The compact camera was developed specifically for mobile live productions and sports. It features two built-in 4G modules and can also use Wi-Fi and other network connections. The A5 can simultaneously live stream and record locally. Technically, it supports up to 4K at 30 frames per second or Full HD at up to 60 fps. A wide-angle lens with a horizontal field of view of approximately 110 degrees is particularly well-suited for fast-moving scenes, vehicles, or sports productions. The camera weighs only about 400 grams.
This makes the MiNE A5 Streaming Camera particularly appealing in situations where traditional cameras—along with additional encoders—would simply be too large or too complicated.
Interestingly, the race’s most important participant wasn’t equipped with the most advanced streaming technology. All Basti had mounted directly on his bike was a smartphone with a SIM card. The reason is quite simple: weight. Anyone riding more than 2,000 kilometers and tens of thousands of meters of elevation gain against the clock doesn’t want to voluntarily bolt extra gear onto their bike. This example therefore illustrates quite well what really matters in mobile productions: You don’t always have to use the most extensive setup possible. On a bike, every gram counts. In the support vehicle, on the other hand, the equipment can be a bit more elaborate—and that’s exactly where cameras, video mixers, and bonding came into play.
The Race Around Austria wasn’t a one-time test. The team had already used the C300 encoders and A5 cameras at several events and continues to refine the workflow with each event. That’s exactly what’s important with mobile livestreaming technology. You can plan a lot on paper—but things only get really interesting out on the road. What happens when switching between cell towers? How do multiple SIM cards perform simultaneously? What bitrate works even in challenging areas? How do you set up a remote production control room without someone having to be on-site all the time? You only gain that kind of experience through real-world use. And traveling all the way around Austria is probably not a bad practical test for that.
Among those behind the production of Race Around Austria is Patrick Gillitzer of Ranked Studios. The team produces livestreams, YouTube content, films, and event recordings for creators and brands, and supports projects from the initial concept through to the final live broadcast. Patrick has since significantly upgraded his setup for mobile productions: Ranked Studios’ equipment includes 12 MiNE A5 cameras and three MiNE C300 bonding backpacks. This technology is not only used for the studio’s own productions but is also available for rent from Ranked Studios. This means a fairly extensive MiNE setup is available, particularly for sporting events, mobile livestreams, or productions at various locations.
The project provides a pretty good indication of the direction in which professional livestream productions are heading.
Today, the entire production team no longer has to be physically present next to the cameras. With Bonding encoders, mobile cameras, 5G, Starlink, and remote production, it’s possible to set up production workflows that, just a few years ago, would have required significantly more technical effort. For the Race Around Austria, this meant that cameras and video mixers traveled through Austria in a support vehicle, while the main production team was based at a completely different location. And while Sebastian Trimborn ultimately took silver, the livestream also made it all the way around the country. When a mobile live production works over more than 2,000 kilometers, it’s fair to call that a successful endurance test.
Perhaps even a little bit of pioneering work. If you’re interested in testing the MiNE C300 Bonding Encoder or the A5 cameras, please feel free to contact us at 089 41 41 453 50 or by email at hello@livestream-shop.com. We look forward to supporting more exciting projects with our technology.
Image source: IBC / ibc.org Smaller cameras, more powerful encoders, and smarter networking technology: There was plenty to discover once
Anyone who has ever tried to go live on TikTok professionally knows the problem. At first, a smartphone is enough.
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