5G field trial for broadcast starts in Bavaria
May 9, 2019
The 5G TODAY project has officially launched its unique field trial for 5G Broadcasting. The project partners Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (Bayerischer Rundfunk, BR), the Broadcast Technology Institute IRT, Kathrein, Rohde & Schwarz as well as Telefónica Germany are jointly testing broadcasting options for future 5G technology.
The new large-area 5G field trial in the Bavarian alpine region is covered by two high-performance transmitters located in Ismaning and on the top of the Wendelstein mountain. Both operate with 100 kilowatts effective output power (technically: ERP). With the help of the high transmission towers and the high power of the transmitters (High-Power-High-Tower-Concept, HPHT), the large-area broadcasting of TV programs can be tested based on the new broadcast mode FeMBMS (Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service). The FeMBMS broadcast mode allows far-reaching and inexpensive distribution of popular content across large coverage areas with a radius of up to 60 kilometres
Dr. Florian Herrmann, head of the Bavarian State Chancellery and Minister of State for Federal and European Affairs and Media, started the operation of the transmitters from a tablet in front of 160 guests from the telecommunications and media industry, who are participating in an accompanying two-day conference at IRT. “With this milestone, we are creating an impulse for the Bavarian media landscape, once again highlighting the innovative strength of Bavaria as a whole”, said Herrmann.
The 5G TODAY project is intended to lay the foundation for the efficient transmission of broadcasting content in the 5G networks of the future. It has been supported by the Bavarian Research Foundation since 2017. “I am delighted that today we can launch the world’s first large-scale test network for 5G broadcasting”, says Ulrich Wilhelm, Director General of Bayerischer Rundfunk and currently Chairman of ARD. “We must design our future digital communications infrastructures in such a way that everyone can continue to benefit from the diversity of media content. I welcome the fact that Bavaria is playing a pioneering role in setting standards and in shaping our digital world in this sense.”
The test operation of 5G TODAY will run from now on until autumn 2019, after which the results and further exploitation of the findings will be evaluated. The project ends on October 31st 2019.