Rohde & Schwarz Teams-Up With Cellnex And RTVE To Leverage 5G Live Broadcast Experience In Barcelona

Rohde & Schwarz, together with leading European independent telecoms infrastructure provider, Cellnex, and Spinner, a leading partner in RF technology, is highlighting Broadcast/Multicast capabilities over 5G in Barcelona, Spain. In a project that went live on 25 of February, the team will transmit a 5G live Broadcast signal provided by RTVE on air, highlighting a totally new mobile live experience to smartphones, tablets and a range of SIM-less devices across central Barcelona.

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. Using 5G Broadcast/Multicast, Mobile Network Operators can deliver premium content to consumers on the move with consistent high Quality-of-Service (QoS) and higher Quality of Experience (QoE).

“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 – watch this space!” commented 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 and radically different high-quality mobile live experience worldwide.

In Barcelona, Rohde & Schwarz provided the end-to-end 5G Broadcast/Multicast solution, which is fully compliant to 3GPP Rel.14/15. The demonstration is based around Rohde & Schwarz’s 1.5 KW R&STMU9evo 5G Broadcast enabled transmitter, with its Broadcast Service and Control Center (R&S BSCC1.0) playing the role of a core network. In addition, a software defined receiver (SDR), developed by Technical University of Braunschweig is used to demonstrate the 5G Broadcast reception. The on air signal will be transmitted in channel 56 with 5MHz bandwidth (750-755 MHz) from Collserola’s Tower Cellnex facilities.

Spinner, a worldwide filters provider for mobile and broadcasting infrastructures, takes part of the Proof-of-Concept via providing a 5MHz 5G Broadcast based filter for the transmitter.

The content broadcasted through the Broadcast/Mutlicast over 5G trial includes booth live and non-live 4K streams. The live content is provided by RTVE, the Spanish public service broadcaster. It includes the live radio channel “Radio 5” and the TV channel “Canal 24H” from RTVE (both channels dedicated to public service content).

The 4K content is a promotional video showing the high quality image of the service. For network operators and media content providers, this means a completely new range of business models are now possible for delivering content or data to very large numbers of consumers and without affecting the cellular 5G mobile network.

”5G Broadcasting is a promising technology that could provide plenty of additional innovative service to citizens. Cellnex is always looking forward to explore future solutions for its customers,” commented Jaume Pujol, Head of Regulation at Cellnex Telecom.

While running the two proof of concept trials in Beijing and Rio, Rohde & Schwarz believes that 5G Broadcast/Multicast applications are well suited to the European market. In Italy, the technology leader supports CRIT (Italian broadcaster RAI’s R&D body) in Torino with a 5G Broadcast test network including high/medium power transmitters and the R&S BSCC playing the role of the core network.

With nearly the same setup, Rohde & Schwarz promotes a better way of delivering content to many consumers across France, Austria, Finland, Spain, Philippines where tests are also taking places.

Interest is high in other parts of the world like South Africa, Mexico, Malaysia, Australia, UAE, Russia, Hong Kong, Korea, UK and even US, where Rohde & Schwarz has identified potential future 5G Broadcast/Multicast commercial trials. BCS Bureau