Installation of the 5G Broadcast antenna on the transmitter site in Ismaning near Munich (BR/Manfred Schmitz)
The test broadcasts will take place in Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Stuttgart and Halle, theoretically reaching around eight million people, according to parent broadcaster ARD. However, the transmissions can only be received with smartphones that are already suitable for 5G Broadcast. Just prototypes are currently available.
Following previous 5G Broadcast tests by individual market players, this is the first joint test conducted by a group of broadcasters in Germany. The test transmissions are being carried out in cooperation with German technical service provider Media Broadcast.
With 5G Broadcast, livestreams can be received directly on future smartphones and tablets without consuming individual data volumes. As with traditional broadcasting, one signal is sent for all recipients, which means that interference caused by too many simultaneous users is ruled out with this technology.
The test run is intended to provide conclusions that will later be incorporated into the decision on a possible ARD-wide introduction of the technology.
