TV and video delivery is likely to become a core capability of next-gen 5G wireless services, as recent demonstrations have suggested that 5G will support 1Gbps data throughput rates, according a Strategy Analytics report.
Combining 5G with other networking enhancements and technologies would allow operators to support TV-equivalent services which could eat into the $500-billion global TV and video market currently served by cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast service providers.
“Data rates get the headlines, but other network technologies will also make or break the business case for 5G TV services,” says Sue Rudd, director of service provider analysis. “The efficiency of the end-to-end network will determine whether 5G TV is possible, but we have seen enough from early demonstrations…to suggest that it will arrive sooner or later in many parts of the world.”
The number of households and devices supported by a 5G TV service within any cell is expected to make or break the 5G TV business case. The number of termination locations can be increased by a factor of three or more by deploying several network enhancements that deliver “trunking” efficiency in the radio access network (RAN).
These include MIMO and beamforming for optimal spectrum use, virtualization of cell sites, dynamic throughput over backhaul networks and network slicing to guarantee data rates to the household.
“Television is already being transformed by new digital services like Netflix and Amazon,” notes Michael Goodman, director of TV and media strategies. “The arrival of 5G TV wireless services could herald another wave of TV disruption through the 2020s and beyond.”