angle sports feeds and premium interactive services at venues.” The improved quality of cellular broadcast is a product of rigorous testing scenarios. Rohde & Schwarz offers the R&S Tx9 platform for lab and large-scale trials, plus the new Tx1 platform, including the R&S TH1, for early commercial deployments. “These support full live 3GPP- compliant deployments and deliver 5G broadcast signals using the one- to-many model instead of traditional unicast mobile networks,” says Taga. “The Broadcast Service and Control Center (BSCC 2.0) manages multicast sessions and integrates with virtual cloud deployments. This system has been implemented within several projects worldwide. Additionally, live casting and venue casting technologies enable low- latency broadcasting inside venues with interactive experiences and multi-angle content delivered directly to attendees’ devices.” Another company leading the way is Sony. One of its first forays into 5G broadcasting was in 2019 for the Berlin Marathon. Sony, Deutsche Telekom and Infront Productions’ aim was to undertake a stress test of 5G mobile network technology in a live production environment. Sony deployed encoding technology to enable its 5G-connected cameras to stream footage over the public mobile network. “We were able to test some of our technology around 5G in a very prototype form,” says Peter Sykes, strategic technology development manager at Sony Europe. “They got pictures on air during the race, and things have developed from that time. There’s a good selection of tools for 5G that Sony have in the market. There are national telecommunication providers rolling out 5G networks, as well as companies that provide private networks. There are a few good examples of the use of those networks – such as King Charles III’s coronation in 2023 – that Sony were involved with.” Sony also recently participated in a number of trials and deployments of 5G. It worked alongside RTL Deutschland and Deutsche Telekom during Euro 2024 to deliver live TV
needed for high-power transmission towers comes at a quite significant cost. Device compatibility is also a sticking point, as not all smartphones and tablets currently support the technology. Add to this the regulatory complexities and the need for close cooperation between broadcasters and mobile operators, and it is clear that widespread rollout will take time. We are here to spotlight examples of 5G streaming successes, which demonstrate a progressive path for the cost-cutting technology’s future. Whether it is live sports, music gigs or current affairs, 5G broadcast is making content more immediate, immersive and accessible than ever. Tried and tested One of the key roles cellular broadcast has played since its integration into the live space is its bolstering of media delivery – by shifting from one-to-one unicast streaming to a more efficient one- to-many broadcast model. “This enables broadcasters to deliver high-quality content such as live sports, concerts or public events directly to millions of mobile devices simultaneously, without relying on traditional mobile networks,” begins Mohamed Aziz Taga, head of product, business development and strategy at Rohde & Schwarz GmbH. The broadcast-based architecture provides exceptional scalability, since adding more viewers does not increase data load on cellular networks, making it ideal for high- profile events. “Content quality remains consistently high, with minimal buffering even under high demand, as all receivers access the same broadcast signal,” adds Taga. “5G broadcast delivers significant spectral and energy efficiency gains compared to unicast methods, with Rohde & Schwarz transmitters reducing energy use by up to 50%. [It] also supports public safety applications, delivering alerts, text, images and live video to mobile devices even without SIM cards or subscriptions, proving valuable in emergencies. Use cases include venue casting, V2X [vehicle-to- everything] casting and OTA updates, live commerce, e-learning, multi-
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