Telstra partnered with Google and Accenture to develop an AR app which helps sports fans navigate a stadium in the city of Melbourne, with the launch of so-called internal wayfinding planned before the start of the Australian rules football season in March 2023.

The app will run on Telstra’s 5G network and is based on a Google Cloud technology designed to help people navigate inside buildings by superimposing digital information onto a real-world environment.

Scott Thompson, head of innovation for customer engineering at Google Cloud, wrote in a post on Telstra’s site the companies had been working to create the first major project using internal wayfinding over the last few months.

He said once it goes live at the stadium, the app can guide visitors directly to their seats and toilets after they scan their tickets.

Thompson explained while mapping of external environment is now common, it had never really been done inside before.

Google staff created detailed 360-degree maps by walking around the stadium and its exterior with specialised equipment.

Telstra worked with the Australian Football League to enhance the stadium experience by upgrading connectivity to 5G.