Qualcomm and Rohde & Schwarz unveil India’s first live end-to-end operational 5G broadcast system at IMC22

Rohde & Schwarz, a global leader in broadcast transmitter and media technologies, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G, have once again joined forces to underline the potential of 5G Broadcast to drive new business models, transform the way content is delivered and open up new revenue-rich multicast opportunities. IMC 2022 will witness a full end-to-end live 5G Broadcast streaming demonstration showcasing the format’s capabilities for the first time in India.

During the show, live content will be transmitted using a 5G Broadcast signal over-the-air, giving visitors a taste of an advanced live mobile experience. The demonstration will offer insight into how network operators and broadcasters can leverage the new standard to create innovative services across a wide range of business segments, while benefitting from high spectral efficiency and reduced costs. 5G Broadcast is part of the 3GPP release 16 feature set, and is capable of operating in a receive-only mode for free-to-air transmission without the need for a SIM card.

The IMC demonstration will run in partnership with Qualcomm Technologies, the world’s leading wireless tech innovator, which has provided prototype mobile 5G Broadcast receivers. Rohde & Schwarz will operate a state-of-the-art TLU9 transmitter running 5G Broadcast software and operating in the UHF band, managed by the BSCC 2.0 control platform.

Live content will be encoded for the stream by Ateme. “The battle for attention is getting tougher, and those who deliver video are constantly looking to improve the user experience,” said Mickaël Raulet, CTO at Ateme. “5G Broadcast brings the experience to a whole new level, and we are thrilled to be working with Rohde & Schwarz and Qualcomm Technologies to make this happen.”

Manfred Reitmeier, VP broadcast and amplifier systems at Rohde & Schwarz, commented: “5G Broadcast technology has the potential to transform the way content services are delivered without compromising existing mobile cellular services. We are excited to show IMC visitors what is possible today with the current technology, and give them a taste of a real-world 5G Broadcast scenario. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Qualcomm Technologies as we work to drive the technology forward and show partners and customers exactly what they can achieve.”

Lorenzo Casaccia, VP of technical standards & intellectual property at Qualcomm Europe, Inc., added “We are delighted to bring this collaboration with the Rohde & Schwarz team to IMC 2022 and show how the delivery of digital TV content over 3GPP standardized technology can look without the need for additional chipsets. 5G broadcast is here today and can be experienced first-hand.”

Broadcast/Multicast over 5G opens up a variety of service models beyond linear and live content distribution, giving network operators and media content access to a new world of content and data delivery options. The technology can also reach large numbers of consumers without affecting existing cellular 5G mobile network. Venues and the automotive sector are particularly suitable for new consumer applications, while the high power, high tower free-to-air/no-SIM operation enables emergency services and national authorities to more securely deliver public messages during natural disasters or emergencies. BCS Bureau