EE, KT, Telstra, Verizon launch new industry body to drive device maker support for media-friendly mobile tech. A group of operators on Wednesday banded together to drum up further support for LTE-Broadcast (LTE-B).
Also known as evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), LTE-B enables a cell site to send a single data stream simultaneously to all compatible devices in the area, which is more efficient than sending the same data on an individual stream to each user.
Use cases include video-streaming, over-the-air (OTA) software updates, and IoT connectivity, among others.
While there have been a sprinkling of live trials and commercial deployments by some of the industry's biggest telcos, LTE-B is still not as pervasive as perhaps it could be, which is why some operators have come together to establish the LTE-Broadcast Alliance.
Founded by BT-owned EE, South Korea's KT, Australian incumbent Telstra, and U.S. telco Verizon, the new industry group's primary objective is to encourage support for LTE-B from device makers.
It is no surprise that all four of these telcos have been busy deploying LTE-B. Verizon has rolled out the technology on its nationwide network, while KT has it up and running at several baseball stadia and subway lines. EE and Telstra are still trialling LTE-B. Incidentally, Total Telecom participated in EE's trial at Wembley stadium last year, the results were mixed.
While video is seen as the primary reason for LTE-B, the LTE-B Alliance is keen to develop more use cases for the technology.
"Initially we focused our LTE-B efforts on the benefits for live and linear video, and we will launch a live service in 2017. Now, as part of the LTE-B Alliance, we'll be focused on developing use cases for critical communications services, Internet of Things, and a 5G future," said EE's head of video strategy, Matt Stagg, in a statement.
The LTE-B Alliance plans to meet on a quarterly basis to work on development of the technology itself as well as implementation.
"The LTE-B Alliance will help establish and expand the benefits of the service to other technology segments, increase device penetration, and unearth even more use cases for eMBMS," said Parissa Pandkhou, director of product development at Verizon.
In addition to the four founding operator members, the LTE-B Alliance is also open to other telcos, device makers, and chipset makers.
"We are looking forward to working with some of the world's leading players in this space to ensure the technology is adopted globally," said Mike Wright, group managing director at Telstra.
Total Telecom Nick Wood |
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