So much of the buzz surrounding 5G has been about its ability to connect users to the internet with high speeds and low latency. There are other uses for the next generation of wireless technology, such as backhauling live TV feeds from remote locations to the station, eliminating the need for running cables to a broadcast van and a microwave hookup.
For example, Vodafone Germany’s 5G standalone infrastructure and the transmission network were used this Spring by German TV station RTL to send signals back to its production facilities for real time broadcasting with 5G-capable TV cameras, according to Vodafone.
“With direct access to the 5G network, live images were transmitted in real time to the broadcasting center, processed there and finally broadcast on hundreds of thousands of TV screens via Mediengruppe RTL’s broadcast processing,” Hannes Ametsreiter, CEO, Vodafone Germany. “5G standalone transmits data in real time – for example live images for television. This makes reporters even more flexible.”
The first live broadcast in Spain using 5G technology was completed last week by a public station Televisión de Galicia (CRTVG) using Telefónica España’s network.
“5G represents a revolutionary change in live broadcasts of the media, by making them more efficient and flexible,” Mercedes Fernández, Manager of Innovation at Telefónica España, said, in a press release. “In fact, the media is one of the sectors that will obtain the greatest benefits with the arrival of 5G together with industry and the connected car.”
CRTVG was also one of the first channels in Spain to implement 4G technology for live broadcasts. 5G will improve upon 4G by increasing the reliability of the retransmissions, according to Telefónica España, and increasing the quality of the transmitted image thanks to its great bandwidth and to reduce the delays, according to Sara González, director of the Technological and Media Support Area of CRTVG.
Nokia is the supplier of the 5G radio infrastructure in the Telefónica network, and additional 5G equipment was supplied by the Dutch manufacturer Mobile Viewpoint B.V.
CRTVG and Telefónica have worked together for a year, testing the 5G network and reducing latency to .8 seconds (25 percent less than usual live latency), reported Explica.co.
By J. Sharpe Smith Inside Towers Technology Editor
Reader Interactions