LTE Broadcast Development Success Reported by the BBC.
BBC R&D has experimented with the eMBMS technology over the last few years, the latest release of mobile standards adds support for broadcast services. This means content can be distributed between large numbers of users at the same time over mobile networks, rather than users receiving the content individually. - According to other reports full scale applications are expected to be in operation in some countries 2020-2022.
Around 18 months ago, the mobile industry kicked-off an initiative on television services over mobile networks within the body responsible for mobile standards - 3GPP. The feature Known as ‘EnTV’, aimed to allow wide-scale TV distribution, enhancing the existing eMBMS capabilities of 4G Broadcast.
BBC has identified a number of potential enhancements which included the possibility for a single transmission to be shared across users of different mobile operators and the need for the interface between the broadcaster and the mobile network to be specified. BBC, as a public service broadcaster, has a number of requirements for the distribution of its services. Working with colleagues from other European public broadcasters along with members of the mobile industry BBC have worked to promote these requirements within 3GPP.
The process has been a remarkable success and Release 14 by 3GGP contains essential features for broadcast delivery over mobile networks such as the possibility for free-to-air reception. Release 14 also supports larger network coverage areas which will allow broadcasters to target rural areas more easily than is currently possible.
Two years ago, no one would have imagined that public service broadcaster requirements would have been included in a mobile standard from 3GPP and it is thanks to cooperation between broadcasters and the mobile industry that this has taken place. BBC is looking ahead to what 5G might mean for the distribution of public service media, writes Lead Research Engineer Andrew Murphy of the BBC Mobile Distribution team.
Read the full BBC text
TV Over Mobile Networks - BBC R&D at the 3GPP
Also read
What is eMBMS
Enhanced Television Services over 3GPP eMBMS (3GGP Release 14)
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