IBC 2019: Rohde & Schwarz to present world’s first comprehensive 5G broadcast solution 

As a part of the Bavarian research project 5G Today, Rohde & Schwarz is investigating large scale TV broadcasts in the Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS) mode. Reaching the billions of smartphones around the world will be the future of broadcasting, the company stated. 3GPP Release 14 is enabling this future by using FeMBMS.

Using high power high tower (HPHT) transmitters allows broadcasters to distribute video over 5G networks in downlink-only mode with all the advantages of classic broadcasting. This provides the high quality levels known from HDTV broadcasting, low latency live content, as well as enormous spectrum efficiency and wide coverage. Also, there is no need for a SIM card in the mobile device.

To help utilise all these benefits, Rohde & Schwarz is the first technology vendor worldwide to offer a complete 5G broadcast solution for network operators. This solution covers all entities from the content provider to consumers. R&S Tx9 transmitters provide FeMBMS based on a unique software-based signal processing platform. The pure software-based signal processing platform gives network operators great flexibility and ideally prepares them for future signal processing requirements.

At IBC, Rohde & Schwarz is set to launch its new 5G broadcast core network element, the R&S BSCC broadcast service and control centre, which enables Rohde & Schwarz terrestrial transmitters to deliver LTE and 5G broadcast content.

This element provides core network functionality so that network operators can distribute content over LTE and 5G broadcast. The main benefit of the R&S BSCC is that it reduces 3GPP core network entities’ complexity to meet broadcasters’ needs for a straightforward LTE and 5G broadcast experience.

The overall Rohde & Schwarz solution makes it easy to configure network parameters, the company claimed. Multiple Rohde & Schwarz FeMBMS transmission sites can be centrally configured in the R&S BSCC core network element.