First End-to-End Live 5G Broadcast Streaming to Smartphones at MWC Barcelona 2022 with Qualcomm and Rohde & Schwarz

February 23, 2022

Press Release

Rohde & Schwarz, a global leader in broadcast transmitter and media technologies, and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., the driving force behind the development, launch and expansion of 5G, have joined forces to showcase 5G Broadcast with a full end-to-end live streaming demonstration at Mobile World Congress 2022.

In a live demonstration delivering content to smartphone devices, and showcasing Broadcast/Multicast capabilities over 5G, content provided by Cellnex Telecom will be re-transmitted using a 5G Broadcast signal over-the-air in Barcelona, giving show attendees a firsthand look at an advanced live mobile experience.

5G Broadcast offers network operators and broadcasters opportunities to create exciting consumer experiences across a range of new and existing business areas. All of this while enabling high spectral efficiency and reduced costs. 

To bring this live demonstration together, Rohde & Schwarz provided its end-to-end 3GPP compliant solution, comprising a 5G Broadcast enabled R&S TLU9 transmitter, supported by a Spinner filter, and the Broadcast Service and Control Center (BSCC2.0) acting as a core network. 

During the demonstration a live signal will be transmitted over-the-airwaves inside the Fira Gran Via in Barcelona, from the Rohde & Schwarz booth, using sectorized antenna systems supplied by Cellnex, to a smartphone form-factor test device from Qualcomm Technologies.

The 5G Broadcast solution is built on the 3GPP Rel-16 feature-set, operating in a Receive-Only Mode (ROM), Free-To-Air (FTA) and without the need for a SIM card (SIM-free reception). The 5G Broadcast dedicated mode will be demonstrated with a standalone broadcast High Power High Tower (HPHT) infrastructure while operating within the UHF band.

“Having the right network will be key to develop 5G Broadcast services,” said Ramon Salat, Commercial Broadcast Director of Cellnex Spain. “Cellnex has the right combination of high and low towers to provide a good coverage for population and territory,” adds Ramon.

“5G Broadcast opens up an exciting new world for the mobile communication ecosystem, bringing with it unrivaled user experience, new revenue opportunities and innovative service models,” commented Manfred Reitmeier, Vice President Broadcasting and Amplifier Systems at Rohde & Schwarz. “We are proud to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies and Cellnex to bring a live experience that gives MWC2022 attendees a taste of what is now possible – and we are only just scratching the surface of the potential with 5G.”

“This is a unique showcase of the delivery of digital TV content over 3GPP standardized technology,” said Lorenzo Casaccia, Vice President of Technical Standards & Intellectual Property, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “We are proud to have collaborated with Cellnex and Rohde & Schwarz teams to bring this demo to life. Our new 5G R&D technology demonstration at Mobile World Congress proves this isn’t just possible, it’s here today on the show floor for all to experience and, perhaps most importantly, without the need for additional chipsets.”

The contents included in the 5G Broadcast transmission included the Spanish public broadcaster Radio Televisión Española news channel, “Canal 24h,” the main RTVE channel “La1” and the Radio Nacional de España regional radio channel, “Radio 4.” The content is encoded using encoders provided by the Spanish manufacturer Cires21.

Broadcast/Multicast over 5G is not restricted to linear and live content distribution. For network operators and media content providers it offers a completely new range of business models for delivering content or data to large numbers of consumers and without affecting the regular cellular 5G mobile network. Venue and automotive sectors are particularly suitable for new consumer applications while the high power, high tower free-to-air/no-SIM offers emergency services and national authorities more secure ways to deliver public messages during natural disasters or emergencies.