Latin America. According to a recent worldwide survey by Broadcasters, 82% believe that cellular networks like 5G will eventually replace traditional broadcast distribution such as DTT/DTV and satellite as the preferred way to access TV content, with more than a third (37%) of these respondents expecting this to start happening within 1 to 2 years.
The survey, conducted on behalf of Nevion, the architects of virtualized media production, found that 10% still foresee that 5G will take more than three years to overtake traditional services, but the vast majority (94%) of broadcasters agree that 5G will. content consumption is likely to increase.
As an increasing number of people favor streaming over conventional linear TV delivery, 5G's capabilities will help cater to this audience and the demand for being able to stream content on the go.
With 5G set up to allow viewers to stream live content on any connected device no matter where they are, Andy Rayner, Head of Technology at Nevion, said: "5G technology can potentially deliver OTT streaming services with the quality required not only for mobile devices, but also for TV screens at home. This could mean, as our research found, that 5G is likely to eventually usurp DTT for consumers at home and on the go. In the long term, 5G mobile technology is likely to become the standard means of delivering terrestrial television. However, it is expected that DTT and 5G delivery (when ready) will coexist for a reasonable amount of time."
There are clear shortcomings in the current capabilities of mobile technology compared to DTT, which is highly optimized for energy-efficient digital linear transmission distribution.
There is also a key distinction between the potential of service providers' offerings for transmission media consumption and the use of 5G radio technology to provide real-time transmission distribution capability in the future.
These views on 5G as the primary means of distributing television content are reflected in the research results. Half (50%) of broadcasters surveyed believe the biggest challenge of using it will be network performance issues and coverage issues (42%). This is followed by issues with reliability (26%) and network security (22%), as well as some broadcasters expressing concern about the environmental impact of 5G.
However, as previously published, the research uncovered the optimism of broadcasters about the potential of 5G in production, and 95% of broadcasters expect to adopt 5G within two years.
Rayner concluded, "Ultimately, we're just scratching the surface of 5G, and while broadcasters already see its potential value, at this stage explorations of the technology are underway across the industry. It's too early to say exactly where in the 5G transmission chain it will provide the most value. As such, broadcasters currently offering DTT will need to work with experts to follow the evolution of 5G transmission capacity."
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