TV and video delivery is likely to become a core capability of next generation 5G wireless services, according to a new report from Strategy Analytics.
Recent demonstrations have suggested that 5G will support 1Gbps data throughput rates. Combining 5G with other networking enhancements and technologies would allow operators to support TV-equivalent services which could eat into the $500 billion global TV and video market currently served by cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast service providers.
Last month, Sky signalled a break with satellite as a distribution medium, with the announcement of its first IP-only receiver.
“Television is already being transformed by new digital services like Netflix and Amazon,” notes Michael Goodman, Director, TV and Media Strategies, Strategy Analytics. “The arrival of 5G TV wireless services could herald another wave of TV disruption through the 2020s and beyond.”
Central to the 5G business case is the number of households and devices supported by within any cell.
“The emergence of 5G TV would represent a further stage in the convergence of media and communications, and wireless and fixed services,” says David Mercer, VP and Principal Analyst, Strategy Analytics. “It would also raise important questions relating to the roles of different ecosystem players and the future structure of the media value chain.”
The number of termination locations can be increased by a factor of three or more by deploying several network enhancements that deliver ‘trunking’ efficiency in the Radio Access Network (RAN).
