Expway, the LTE-Broadcast expert today announced that it was nominated to lead the 5G-Xcast consortium's Network Architecture and Management Work Package activities and specifications. The goal of the 5G-Xcast consortium is to drive the design, evaluation, and demonstration of a large-scale multi-media distribution architecture for future 5G networks.
The 5G-Xcast consortium includes tier-1 telecom operators such as EE, TIM and BT, large infrastructure vendors such as Nokia and Samsung, equipment vendors, as well as media and entertainment entities and government agencies, with a very strong presence in 5G-PPP phase-1 and 3GPP standardization. More information can be found at http://5g-xcast.eu.
"5G will revolutionise the Broadcast, Media and Entertainment sector. We need to have the capability to Unicast, Broadcast or Multicast traffic in order to realise the full benefits of 5G," said Matt Stagg, Head of Video at EE and Vice Chair of the 5G-Xcast Advisory Board. "What really excites me is the 5G-Xcast programme is looking at the requirements of all the 5G verticals such as Automotive, eHealth & Manufacturing. The pedigree of the companies in the consortium is excellent and will ensure its success."
Large-scale multi-media distribution is one of the most demanding use-cases in terms of network capacity and scalability and content quality-of-service. Content providers and network operators need to avoid negative consequences such as the class-action lawsuit Showtime faced after live streaming the Mayweather/McGregor boxing event.
Multi-media consumption, regardless of the network - fixed, mobile or terrestrial - is exploding. A recent Cisco study showed that between 2016 and 2021 video will grow from 73% to 82% of network traffic. By 2021 video traffic will have grown 15-fold from 2016. Furthermore, new video standards such as 4K/8K, Ultra-High Definition Television (UHDTV) and immersive media such as Virtual, Augmented and Mixed Reality (VR/AR/MR) compound the stress put on the networks of the future.
The 5G-Xcast Network Architecture and Management work activity will focus on ensuring that large-scale multi-media services can be delivered using available spectrum of future 5G networks. It will ensure consistent high QoE, by enabling the best optimization of the available infrastructure's resources, similar to what eMBMS does today.
It will also be fully consistent with the core 5G specifications being developed today, and further the definition of 5G to insure a smooth evolution path from current to future functionalities. The specifications will be included as part of future 3GPP standards.
"We want to provide a unified experience to the user," said Cedric Thienot, Expway Co-founder and CTO. "Whether large-scale multi-media content is provided through 5G, Fixed Wireless, Multicast ABR, or a CDN, users should have a totally seamless high-quality experience."
The new architecture will integrate fixed, mobile and terrestrial broadcast networks into a unified heterogeneous 5G infrastructure. It will also focus on specific markets such as media and entertainment, vehicle-to-things communication, and public safety, to ensure that their respective technical requirements are identified and suitably addressed.