Media Broadcast 5G trial in Halle
August 7, 2024
Media Broadcast has officially launched the distribution of television programmes via 5G broadcast as part of a pilot project in Halle, Germany. The pilot project is based on a tender from the Media Authority of Saxony-Anhalt, in which DTT capacities were awarded to Media Broadcast for testing the distribution of programmes in the 5G broadcast standard.
Media Broadcast received the licence for the transmission capacities at the beginning of June. After initial test broadcasts, the Cologne-based company has now been able to officially start to test operations of a 5G broadcast transmitter in Halle. As part of the pilot operation, different system parameters are being tested to optimise the 5G broadcast transmission path. Specifically, transmission speed and power consumption are to be tested in comparison to mobile communications. In order to be able to transmit as many programmes as possible via a 5G broadcast channel, there will also be tests regarding programme quality and variety and the optimal system parameters for this. Disaster protection warnings, which can be sent out via 5G broadcast at any time, will also be integrated into test scenarios.
The 5G broadcast signal is transmitted via the existing transmitting antenna at the ‘Halle Kraftwerk’ site, which is also used to broadcast DVB-T2 antenna television. The existing DVB-T2 infrastructure can also be used for 5G broadcast. The existing DVB-T2 transmitter had to be converted to the new 5G broadcast technology. Depending on the system configuration, up to 260,000 residents in Halle could be supplied with portable outdoor 5G broadcast via UHF channel 40. There are currently no 5G broadcast-capable devices available on the market, but the joint development of the technology by those involved from industry, network operators and politics is progressing, so that 5G broadcast-capable devices will be available to end users in the future.
Two programme slots are planned for the start of the project. One slot will be occupied by the private local broadcaster MDF.1; the other slot will be occupied by ARD.