German technology company Rohde & Schwarz, together with its partners Cellnex and Spinner, will demonstrate live broadcast and multicast capabilities over 5G in Barcelona, Spain.
In a project that goes live on February 25, 2020, the team will transmit a 5G Broadcast signal provided by Spanish public broadcaster RTVE on air, marking a new mobile live experience serving smartphones, tablets and a range of SIM-less devices across central Barcelona.
According to Rohde & Schwarz, 5G Broadcast is one of the main pillars of the 5G ecosystem as it offers network operators and broadcasters “revolutionary opportunities” in several new business areas while offloading data capacity to create high spectral efficiency and reduced costs without affecting the cellular 5G mobile network.
Using 5G’s broadcast and multicast capabilities, mobile network operators can deliver video content to consumers on the move with high quality of service and quality of experience.
“5G Multicast has some way to go before it becomes commercially available, but what the current and upcoming trials are proving is that this new technology could radically change the way people access high quality digital media on the move,” said Manfred Reitmeier, Vice President Transmitter and Amplifier Systems at Rohde & Schwarz.
With active large-scale trials of its 5G Broadcast system currently underway in Munich, Beijing and Rio de Janeiro, Rohde & Schwarz is pioneering the development and implementation of this new mobile live transmission service worldwide.
The on air signal in Barcelona will be broadcast on channel 56 with 5MHz bandwidth (750-755MHz) from Cellnex’ facilities on the Collserola transmitter tower. The content offered includes booth live and non-live 4K streams.
The live content is provided by RTVE and comprises TV channel Canal 24H and radio station Radio 5. The 4K content is a promotional video.
