With the developments and advancements 5G technology is making, it is set to completely revolutionize how content is distributed and consumed. The main driving force behind the 5G broadcasting is just how much more accessible 5G networks are becoming with low latency and unbelievably high speeds.
What is 5G Technology?
From the most basic point of view, it is the fifth installment of technology standard for broadband cellular networks. As it stands, most cellular devices are on the fourth installment, which is 4G.
From a more technical approach, 5G is based on the 3GPP Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service that enables the distribution of linear media via large radio cells with a radius of up to 60 kilometers. All mobile devices within this radius can receive the programmes distributed via this very data stream. You may be wondering, with all the devices in the radius, won’t the quality of the programmes reduce? The answer to that is no and here is why:
The signal is only distributed once to all receiving devices. As such, there is no excessive network utilization based on the number of receiving devices per cell ergo the quality of programmes stays the same.
How 5G Broadcast Technology Will Transform Content Distribution
Remote Production
Compared to previous generations of mobile networks, 5G offers faster speeds and greater capacity with lower latency.
Remote production is still possible on 4G although there may be some issues on reliability and bandwidth which poses stress to your broadcast rentals or your own broadcast equipment for that matter.
Remote production is great for reducing operational and labor costs. As a broadcaster, you do not have to have a team of camera operators, production staff and directors on site. You don’t even have to deploy an on-site production truck.
5G remote production reduces the number of staff needed on site as well as the need for a truck as camera feeds can be instantly sent to a centralized production hub.
Better Creativity
5G broadcast technology also increases the creative options available for producers. 5G enabled cameras are void of wires, which will allow operators to move around freely in the studio or sports venue to capture shots that would have been otherwise impossible.
The resulting feeds can then be sent to the production hub across the super-fast 5G network. This level of flexibility is particularly useful to sports broadcasters who can use the same camera for both pre and post event content as well as the event itself.
Better Streaming
5G broadcast is synonymous with 3 qualities: high speeds, high bandwidth, and low latency. Put those three together and you have broadcasting capabilities that support higher quality streams in 4K ultra-high definition. With the densification of the 5G network through micro infrastructure like small cells, users can actually watch the streams in the quality for which they were intended.
Lower latency is instrumental in the broadcasting of live events like election debates, sports events or news. Live events need to reach viewers with minimal down time. No one enjoys receiving a goal notification on their phone before the goal actually goes in on their stream because of latency.
Remote Broadcasting
5G broadcasting could be a more cost-effective way of providing traditional broadcasts to remote areas. The cost of creating a 5G network can be more efficient than setting up and maintaining traditional broadcast infrastructure like tv and radio masts.
On top of broadcasting, you get ultra fast mobile internet.
Multicast Streaming
With 4G networks, broadcasters had to go the extra mile to achieve multicast streaming. Multicast streaming is the direct opposite of unicast streaming where content is sent to an individual user.
With 5G, multicasting promises to maintain the same quality of content regardless of whether the number of viewers increases or not. Broadcasters will benefit a lot with deployment of less broadcast rentals but with greater efficiency.
