Nokia Networks today said it is doing trials to use LTE for TV broadcasting.
The Munich trial, which began transmissions in July, applied the technology on UHF spectrum, using part of the 700 MHz band to broadcast over a 200 km area. The trial aims to show that LTE can be used to complement and provide another option to regional digital TV distribution standards, such as DVB-T in Europe.
The trial uses evolved Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (eMBMS) software running in Nokia Flexi Multiradio 10 Base Stations, which are deployed in LTE networks.
The Nokia LTE equipment is deployed at four sites of the Bavarian broadcast company, Bayerischer Rundfunk, in Northern Munich. The sites are connected by a optical transport network.
LTE Broadcast enables TV channels to distribute TV over existing mobile broadband infrastructure and find additional revenue streams. Subscribers can watch TV on their devices without using their mobile data plan and additional network load.
Nokia Networks said LTE Broadcast allows for a free-to-air or pay-TV service that can be received by anybody with a suitable device.
Hossein Moiin, chief technology officer, Nokia Networks, said: “Spectrum doesn’t need to be dedicated to either broadcast or broadband, but can be used flexibly for both according to users’ needs.”
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