ETSI unveils Mobile and Broadcast Convergence Industry Specification Group

Mobile and Broadcast converge in new ETSI specification group

SOPHIA ANTIPOLIS — ETSI has unveiled a new Industry Specification Group, the Mobile and Broadcast Convergence (MBC) ISG.

ETSI MBC ISG will explore the deployment and business models of converged networks from the perspectives of all interested parties, including broadcasters, satellite, mobile and terrestrial broadcast network operators, content owners and providers, network infrastructure vendors and manufacturers of consumer equipment and consumers. The group will study the means to support delivery of media including linear and non-linear elements over converged networks, taking into account the potential benefits and challenges from a commercial and technical perspective.

TV delivery has traditionally been dependent on one-way, one-to-many delivery networks to fixed TV sets (i.e. broadcasting). Nowadays, an increasing number of consumers watch linear or non-linear content on their traditional home screens as well as on their smartphones and tablets. Although much of this content is currently delivered via WiFi networks, these new forms of media consumption dramatically increase the load on mobile networks. This situation may require new solutions, such as the leveraging of a one-to-many broadcasting approach.

“Increasingly consumers are using Smartphones and tablets to access linear and non-linear content interchangeably and the old model of a screen in the living room to watch TV broadcasting is becoming more and more irrelevant. Broadcasters and mobile operators will have to adapt their business models to these changed bandwidth flows and there is uncertainty about the optimum technology choices. This ISG is to allow all interested parties to engage with the technical debate now, ahead of whatever standardization work will be needed subsequently” says David Hendon, convenor of the MBC ISG.

While the ISG will not make recommendations about spectrum allocation, spectrum authorization models which impact the regulatory framework and/or business model may need to be considered in the ISG work.

MBS ISG will meet for the first time on 22-23 June 2016 in Guildford, UK, hosted by the Institute for Communication Systems at the University of Surrey.

Participation in the Mobile and Broadcast Convergence Industry Specification Group is open to all ETSI members as well as organizations who are not members, subject to signing ISG Agreements. For information on how to participate please contact ISGsupport@etsi.org.