Italian public service broadcaster Rai and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) are conducting new 5G broadcast trials during the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which run from 6-22 February 2026.
The pre-commercial trials will explore how 5G broadcast can leverage resilient broadcast tower infrastructure to expand live, free-to-air delivery to smartphones and other end-devices, especially for demanding use-cases such as live coverage of major sports events and the delivery of essential services to mobile phones in emergencies.
The trials build on demonstrations of the technology during the Paris Olympics 2024.
Unlike conventional mobile streaming, 5G broadcast is designed to deliver the same content to an unlimited number of users without congesting mobile networks or consuming user data allowances.
The system reportedly combines the efficiency of traditional terrestrial broadcasting (DTT) with 5G technology to achieve a high level of geographic coverage and a great number of addressable devices. The result is a single, standardised approach that can support live video and audio services, but also emergency alerts on any compatible mobile phone.
The Milano Cortina trials continue Rai’s pre-commercial, large-scale trials that have been running since early 2025. During this winter’s Olympic Games, the partners will evaluate reception, service robustness, and user experience in the metropolitan areas of Rome and Turin and assess how broadcasters could integrate 5G broadcast into hybrid distribution strategies.
“Major events like the Olympics are the ultimate stress-test for new distribution technologies,” said Gino Alberico, Director of the Rai-Centre for Research and Innovation. “With 5G broadcast, we can bring live content directly to compatible devices with broadcast efficiency – opening the door to better coverage, improved resilience, and new ways to reach audiences on the move.”
Antonio Arcidiacono, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) at the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), added: “Paris 2024 showed that 5G broadcast can move beyond the lab, with demonstrations on hundreds of consumer devices. Milano Cortina 2026 is another important step: validating performance in a real operative environment, helping align the ecosystem, from broadcasters and network operators to chipset and handset manufacturers, around a shared, interoperable standard that can deliver live content day after day and simultaneously increase resilience in case of emergencies.”
The EBU holds Olympic media rights in Europe, together with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), through 2032, supporting broad free-to-air coverage for television and digital platform audiences across the European continent.
Adrian Pennington recently investigated how Milano Cortina 2026 is set to deploy everything from a massive virtualised production setup and first-person-view drones to expanded real-time 360° replays. Discover more here.
HbbTV Association formally integrates DRM in HbbTV 2.0.5
The HbbTV Association has published version 2.0.5 of its core specification, which formally integrates digital rights management (DRM). While HbbTV devices have supported DRM for many years, this is the first time it has been explicitly defined, providing a harmonised, interoperable approach across the ecosystem.
Netflix withdraws from race to acquire Warner Bros Discovery
Netflix has withdrawn from the race to acquire Warner Bros Discovery, leaving the way clear for Paramount Skydance to win the months-long battle for the historic Hollywood studio.
Avatar: Fire and Ash leads at Visual Effects Society awards
Avatar: Fire and Ash was the big winner at the Visual Effects Society’s 24th Annual VES Awards, taking home seven awards in total, including the top prize of Outstanding Visual Effects in a Photoreal Feature.
UK set to enhance regulation of major streamers such as Netflix and Disney+
The UK's biggest video-on-demand services will have to follow the same content and accessibility rules as traditional broadcasters, under new government legislation.
Charity publishes set of principles for mentally healthy productions
The Film and TV Charity has unveiled its new ‘Principles for Mentally Healthy Productions’ to help address systemic pressures and poor working practices across the UK screen sector, aiming to improve culture and conditions on productions.
