Data consumption is accelerating, network capacity is being challenged, and the availability of scarce resources such as spectrum must be optimised to cope with high end-user demand. Furthermore, video traffic accounts for most of the mobile traffic consumption nowadays, and it is essential to identify solutions that will support an increasing number of users who demand higher-quality content delivery every day without stressing the networks beyond the saturation point.
Based on this need, we analyse one alternative that can potentially solve future content delivery challenges, but further research and prompt regulatory determination are required for its successful deployment.
Given its technological features, following recent updates on standards, and the ongoing deployment of 5G networks, 5G Broadcast is an attractive alternative to address the increasing demand for video. It is a technology with the potential to create significant business opportunities for network operators and content providers across multiple industries. This solution can transform, among others, how software is updated across multiple devices, media content is delivered, emergency communications are managed, and live events are experienced.
In this article, we explore the definition and evolution of 5G Broadcast as a new technological solution for addressing the accelerated growth of video traffic. We present its main use cases based on its ability to deliver content to massive audiences. Finally, we acknowledge its advantages for different stakeholders and its technical and regulatory challenges for a massive technology rollout.
An accelerated growth of video traffic requires innovative solutions to cope with it
Access to video content through mobile devices is increasing around the globe, and this trend is expected to continue in the short term. As shown in the figure below, at the end of 2023 video traffic accounts for approximately 72.7% of total mobile data traffic (95EB/month) and is estimated to rise to 80.7% (345EB/month) in 2029. In this context, alternatives to deliver high-quality content to a rapidly increasing base of mobile users, such as 5G Broadcast, become relevant.
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5G Broadcast is a terrestrial broadcast standard that enables the (down-link only) distribution of linear media content through large radio cells using a high-tower, high-power transmitter. This allows mobile devices within a roughly 60 to 70 km radius of these transmitters or cell towers to access the content without requiring an Internet connection. Additionally, the technology is suited to accommodate content reception by devices in moving vehicles, supporting speeds of up to 250 km/h.
3GPP defined the 5G Broadcast standard in 2021, and ETSI issued the latest technical update in June 2023, following several trials over the technology’s features, functionalities, and benefits compared to previous developments. The following figure shows the evolution of the technology through the releases that have led to 5G Broadcast.
Accessing highquality content with 5G Broadcast
Another relevant feature highlighted by recent trials is that MNOs could offer the technology to monitor content demand in real-time for broadcasters, leading to more cost-efficient operations and customer preference-oriented content offers.
Furthermore, even though the described characteristics of 5G Broadcast may bring opportunities for addressing video traffic increases, its implementation brings challenges. Although 5G Broadcast rollout may imply low content-delivery costs as broadcasters can leverage most of their existing equipment by changing specified configurations, few modern mobile devices already incorporate the hardware to receive it, requiring specific software updates. An important consideration is that similar to mobile 5G services, devices need the appropriate hardware and software to support the technology. This requirement is detailed in the latest ETSI technical update.
Another critical factor for deploying 5G Broadcast services is the selection of specific frequency bands. The standard specifies that frequencies between 470-698MHz (Bands 107 and 108) are designated for broadcast services, where 5G Broadcast is contained. Even though, at a national level, the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) has recently endorsed 5G Broadcast as a worldwide Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) standard, at a local level, content providers must secure the required authorisations to offer services with these bands, and regulatory bodies must outline the criteria for accessing this spectrum. Some countries have issued temporary licenses to test the technology before establishing formal regulations.
In addition, the frequency spectrum allocated for 5G Broadcast services in many countries is shared with other uses, including mobile and fixed services. Considering that these services support increasing numbers of users, further research is needed to manage the competition for this limited resource effectively. However, within the frequency band allocated for broadcasting services, and due to its characteristics, 5G Broadcast allows for more efficient spectrum use.
Unlocking transformative business opportunities with 5G Broadcasts
5G Broadcast provides solutions in, among others, three main areas: 1) seamless and cheap software updates, 2) content delivery to massive audiences, and 3) emergency communications.
Efficient Free-to-Air media broadcasting
Another opportunity is enabling efficient free-to-air or zero-rated media content delivery to mass audiences. Consider a scenario where a highly anticipated live event, such as a football match or a political debate, is streamed simultaneously by thousands of viewers over traditional unicast cellular connections. This situation would likely strain network resources, potentially leading to diminished quality of service and increased delivery costs for operators.
With 5G Broadcast, the same live content can be delivered to millions of users without replicating data for each user, thereby potentially reducing peak traffic on the unicast network. This dynamic offloading of excess traffic from the unicast network to the broadcast network could provide users with a more robust and uninterrupted video playback experience.
Additionally, data traffic routing between unicast and broadcast modes occurs automatically, without user intervention, enabling a seamless transition as users move in and out of broadcast coverage areas. This capability could facilitate innovative business models where broadcast and mobile network operators collaborate to deliver highly popular live content through 5G Broadcast when available, effectively zero-rating the content and exempting it from users’ monthly data caps– a potential value proposition for consumers.
Additionally, 5G Broadcast supports enhanced communication types, such as video casting, larger messages with detailed instructions and images, providing a more comprehensive emergency response. By leveraging 5G Broadcast, authorities can ensure vital communications reach those in need, even in challenging circumstances, thereby improving emergency response effectiveness.
Nevertheless, this solution is meant to supplement, not substitute, traditional methods like emergency messaging through radio frequencies or Cell Broadcast Service (CBS), which remain essential for their extensive reach and reliability. This multifaceted approach ensures robust public safety communications.
Moving forward: establishing the conditions for a viable ecosystem
Establishing a regulatory and public policy framework that encourages investments in this technology and the related business opportunities is essential.
Some countries have undertaken innovative approaches toward establishing a regulatory framework that meets the needs of the different stakeholders involved in developing the technology. Particularly, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) in the USA has issued temporary licenses for operators to experiment with the technology, the most recent one having been granted in July 2023 to a low-power television network in Massachusetts. The license supported the use of the first station dedicated exclusively to 5G broadcasting in Boston during the launch of NASA in September 2023, with a strong signal being perceived inside the building. The results of this trial were delivered to the FCC as input for evaluating the need for regulatory measures.
Austria is another country that has been actively involved in developing trials and recommendations for adopting and evolving the technology. Austrian Broadcasting Services (a subsidiary of ORS Group) has deployed infrastructure for 5G Broadcast in collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies and Rohde & Schwarz, aiming to use it in different scenarios, such as music festivals and state emergency broadcasting.
Austria is the first country presented on the 5G Broadcast trial section of a recent European Commission consultation regarding the strategy for the future use of the frequency band 470-694MHz beyond 2030 in the European Union10. This consultation established that, at least until 2030, the referred frequency band will continue to be available for the terrestrial provision of broadcasting services, explicitly settling that it can be used for 5G Broadcast transmissions among other broadcasting services.
Even though this determination gives certainty about the future use of the band for 5G Broadcast services within the European Union, some areas remain to be reviewed and improved for its massive deployment. The RSPG identifies that further development of the UHF band, business models, availability of equipment, and national regulation and strategies are aspects to be addressed for the satisfactory roll-out of 5G Broadcast within a viable ecosystem. According to this body, “only a few rudimentary prototypes of smartphones with 5G Broadcast functionalities are available for demonstration purposes, which have been shown at various public events and during national trials.
The availability of consumer equipment on a large scale (smartphones, tablets, etc.) is crucial for broader implementation of such a system”
Moving forward: establishing the conditions for a viable ecosystem
In conclusion, the potential benefits of 5G Broadcast underscore the need for ongoing research to tackle the technical hurdles previously discussed. Broadcasters, content providers, and mobile operators could design strategies to take advantage of the possibility of delivering higher-quality services at lower costs through the deployment and use of this technology.
Furthermore, national regulatory authorities could consider proactively devising innovative strategies, such as the ones outlined earlier, to establish a regulatory framework that provides certainty to private parties and promotes investments in 5G Broadcast development, deployment, and adoption. It’s also crucial for them to consider addressing the challenge of allocating scarce resources in a way that meets growing demands and promotes a more efficient use of spectrum. While some mobile equipment manufacturers have begun integrating the technical requirements to support this technology, all manufacturers should join this endeavour to ensure the technology’s widespread adoption and, hence, financial feasibility.
Finally, governments could enhance public safety by strengthening their emergency communication systems using 5G Broadcast. Fide Partners has vast experience and is uniquely positioned to provide support in these strategic, technical, and public/regulatory areas to address challenges and exploit the technology’s benefits.
