Trials are underway in Germany of 5G Broadcast over the Digital Terrestrial TV network and service provider Media Broadcast believes it could be a game changer for broadcasters, advertisers, and consumers alike.
Research suggests that 4m people in Germany currently consume DTT on mobile – but this could rise 15x to 53m with the introduction of 5G Broadcast, which is part of the global 5G standard.
Giving a presentation on the Rohde & Schwarz stand, Markus Schneider, Product Manager at Media Broadcast, said: “There is huge potential to bring linear TV to mobile phones. This is the biggest argument for bringing 5G Broadcast to Germany.”
One business model would be the ability to offer targeted ads in the linear TV stream to smartphones – something which is not possible now.
Broadcasters would appreciate the cheaper CDN cost of running a DTT service. “There are costs, but these costs are fixed,” Schneider said.
He also pointed to the green energy-saving benefits of 5G Broadcast which is 90% less than that of streaming.
Trials in Munich and in Stuttgart – testing 5G delivery of in-car infotainment – have been successfully completed, with a third in Hamburg still ongoing.
However, there are hurdles. “Device producers need to be persuaded to embed 5G Broadcast chips in their devices. Regulators need to believe in the big advantage of terrestrial TV for German society and secure the necessary frequencies. Public broadcasters must be convinced that terrestrial TV is still a needed and cheap way to reach the German population and commercial broadcasters have to believe in the growth potential of linear TV and in the new monetisation models.”
Stand Number: 7.B21
Company: Rohde & Schwarz
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