The majority of broadcasters believe that cellular distribution such as 5G will eventually replace traditional distribution methods.
In a global survey, conducted on behalf of the Norwegian firm Nevion, 82% believe that cellular networks like 5G will eventually replace traditional broadcast distribution such as DTT and satellite as the preferred way to access TV content, with over a third (37%) of these respondents expecting this to begin happening within 1 to 2 years.
Nevion is best known for its virtualised media production technology.
10% of those surveyed anticipate it will take more than three years for 5G to overtake traditional services but the vast majority (94%) of broadcasters agree that 5G will likely increase the consumption of content.
“5G technology can potentially deliver OTT broadcast services with the quality required not only for mobile devices, but also for TV screens at home,” said Andy Rayner, Chief Technologist, Nevion. “This could mean, as our research uncovered, that 5G is eventually likely to usurp DTT for consumers at home as well as on the move. In the long term, it is likely that 5G mobile technology could become the standard means to deliver terrestrial television. However, it is expected that both DTT and 5G delivery (when ready) will co-exist for a reasonable time.”
Half (50%) of the broadcasters surveyed think the biggest challenge of using it will be network performance issues and coverage issues (42%). This is followed by issues with reliability (26%) and network security (22%), as well as some broadcasters expressing concern about the environmental impact of 5G.
