The European Broadcasting Union and the European Space Agency have signed an agreement to work together on developing solutions that leverage 5G systems and so-called ‘edgecasting’ to put Europe at the forefront of media delivery technology.
The deal could lay the groundwork for better access to high-quality video, game and XR experiences live and uninterrupted from anywhere – at home and on the move, said the EBU.
The aim of the project, titled 5G-EMERGE, is to develop an integrated satellite and terrestrial system based on open standards to enable high-quality content distribution services.
Telecommunications satellites will be used to deliver high-demand content, including streaming of live events to the edge. This could be in neighbourhood base stations or even in the users’ homes or vehicles, said the EBU. At these network edges, a smart satellite gateway will be able to connect to a regular smartphone, tablet or TV set.
A consortium of 20 companies from Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland will collaborate on developing the distributed edge technology and service-delivery features along with other necessary enhancements that comply to international standards. The EBU will lead the project, which is funded by ESA.
“Together we will build a solution that combines all satellite and terrestrial IP-based network infrastructures, guaranteeing sustainability and quality of service,” said Antonio Arcidiacono, director of technology and innovation at the EBU. “It also guarantees that the network will cover 100 per cent of the population, no matter where they are located. This is a critical requirement for public service media organisations.”
