BOSTON—5G could very well begin carving a space for itself among fellow TV and video providers, according to a recently conducted report from Strategy Analytics.
It is likely that new 5G wireless services will feature TV and video capability and recent demonstrations have suggested that 5G will support 1 Gbps data throughput rates. This new ability could take some of the space currently occupied by cable, satellite, IPTV and terrestrial broadcast service providers.
“The efficiency of the end-to-end network will determine whether 5G TV is possible, but we have seen enough from early demonstrations by operators like Verizon, Deutsche Telekom, SK Telecom, AT&T and BT to suggest that it will arrive sooner or later in many parts of the world,” said Sue Rudd, director, Service Provider Analysis.
Strategy Analytics’ report indicates that the number of households and devices supported by a 5G TV service within any cell will be a key determining factor for 5G TVs. The number of termination locations can be increased by a factor of three or more by deploying several network enhancements that deliver “trunking” efficiency in the Radio Access Network. These include MIMO and beamforming for optimal spectrum use, virtualization of cell sites, dynamic throughput over backhaul networks and network slicing to guarantee data rates to the home.
“The emergence of 5G TV would represent a further stage in the convergence of media and communications and wireless and fixed services,” said David Mercer, VP and principal analyst. “It would also raise important questions relating to the roles of different ecosystem players and the future structure of the media value chain.”
The full report can be accessed here.
