By Jonathan Easton

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU) has concluded that 5G broadcast systems can be introduced alongside existing DTT in the UHF band.

The reveal means that existing broadcast towers could be used to significantly enhance the coverage and minimise the cost of roll-out of the new technology.

It also adds the potential to bring free-to-air content to mobile phone users without the need for device makers to build additional receivers into handsets.

The first of two reports on the subject published by the EBU goes on to note that High Power High Tower and Medium Power Medium Tower (HPHT and MPMT) could have a role to play in 5G broadcasting, and they should be complemented with Low Power Low Tower in urban environments.

However, there are a number of practical and regulatory constraints at national and regional levels that could hinder progress, and that hybrid 5G broadcast networks could be partially operated in MFN (Multiple Frequency Networks).

The second of the two reports examined how 5G Broadcast and existing DTT could co-exist in the UHF band currently used by DTT alone. It concluded that the reuse of coordinated GE06 DTT frequencies by 5G Broadcast appears to be the most practical way for early introduction of 5G Broadcast in the concerned band.