Claro, the biggest mobile operator in Brazil and Latin America, 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, joined forces at Open Rio 2023 to showcase the potential of 5G Broadcast/Multicast to drive new business models and transform the way content is delivered.
The demonstration featured a live signal transmitted over-the-air from the Claro booth to a smartphone form-factor test device from Qualcomm Technologies. Live content was transmitted using a 5G Broadcast signal over-the-air, providing visitors with a taste of an advanced live mobile experience. The demonstration offered insight into how network operators and broadcasters can leverage 5G Broadcast/Multicast to create new and innovative services across a wide range of business segments while benefiting from high spectral efficiency and reduced costs.
The live 5G Broadcast streaming demonstration was formed by Rohde & Schwarz’s end-to-end 3GPP compliant solution, comprising a 5G Broadcast RAN enabled with R&S TLU9 transmitter and the Broadcast/Multicast Core Network powered by the Broadcast Service and Control Center (BSCC2.0). The input content was received from five live-feed cameras and transcoded using Ateme’s Titan encoding solution.
Built on the 3GPP Rel-16 feature-set, the 5G Broadcast solution operates in a Receive-Only Mode (ROM), Free-To-Air (FTA), and without the need for a SIM card (SIM-free reception). Rohde & Schwarz demonstrated the 5G Broadcast dedicated mode in action, with a standalone mobile broadcasting infrastructure.
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 were excited to show Open Rio visitors what was possible with the current technology and give them a taste of a real-world 5G Broadcast scenario. We are proud to continue our collaboration with Claro and Qualcomm Technologies as we work to drive the technology forward and show partners and customers exactly what they can achieve.”
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 networks. 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.
