ESPOO, Finland—European connectivity leaders Nokia and Ericsson, have partnered with Berlin’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (HHI), to shape and drive the next generation of video coding standardization—for better immersive media and mobile video user experiences in the 6G era.

For the first time, the three partners are combining their video codec research expertise with the goal of strengthening Europe's role in next generation standardization, they said.

Researchers from the three companies recently demonstrated a new video codec with considerably higher compression efficiency than the current standards (H.264/AVC, H.265/HEVC, and H.266/VVC) without significantly increasing complexity, while also improving energy efficiency and scalability. The documented research provides early evidence of technology capable of meeting the requirements for the next video coding standardization phase—an important milestone that helps initiate the process towards future decision-making, according to the companies.

Fraunhofer is a pioneer in the development of audio and video standards, having developed the MP3 audio standard in the early ‘90’s. The German institute was also a co-developer of the AAC standard and involved in the development of video MPEG standards as well.

The partners’ joint submission to the oversight bodies—the ITU-T Video Coding Experts Group and the ISO/IEC Moving Picture Experts Group (MPEG)—was positively evaluated and is expected to help catalyze progress towards evaluation and decision-making by the standardization committee, the companies said.

In line with forecast 6G deployment, the next video codec standard is expected to be operational from 2029-2030 and will define the digital media landscape for the following decade. Until then, current standards, such as VVC, play a vital role in delivering advanced video experiences, driving market demand for high-efficiency streaming, immersive media formats, and scalable solutions across diverse devices and networks.

The new standard will be essential to a wide range of video-based applications, including mobile communication and streaming, as well as immersive and low-latency experiences. Anticipated use cases include the coding of professional-, user-, and AI-generated content; coding of gaming and 3D content; coding of content for machine consumption; and automotive and industrial use.

“Nokia’s inventors have been instrumental in the development of all market-adopted video codecs for the last three decades, including fundamental H.26x video compression technologies, and we are excited about shaping the next generation of video standards,” said Ville-Veikko Mattila, Head of Multimedia Technologies for Nokia. “By working together at the very start of the standardization journey we will ensure that the values of openness, excellence, and sustainability are embedded in the next generation of digital media experiences.”

Magnus Frodigh, Head of Research at Ericsson, said, “as a global connectivity leader, Ericsson is perfectly positioned to research and drive 6G enablement capabilities. We are proud to partner with Nokia and Fraunhofer HHI in video coding to combine research expertise and shape the next standard. Our partnership video codec achievement not only shows the ability of European technology leaders to come together and pioneer breakthroughs, but, by being prominent at the very start of the process, also flags our combined determination and commitment to shape the next generation of standards.”

“Video technologies are central to the digital experiences of tomorrow,” said Prof. Thomas Wiegand, Executive Director of Fraunhofer HHI. “Our joint research with Ericsson and Nokia demonstrates Europe’s strong competence in advanced media technologies and its active role in global standardization efforts. This collaboration also builds upon the contributions of the broader JVET research community, whose work continues to drive progress in next-generation video coding.”

In the U.S., 6G video encoding standards research is being led by the Next G Alliance, a D.C.-based industry alliance that a year ago produced a white paper titled “Video Codecs for 6G-Machine-Type Communications: Improving the Quality of Critical Application Roles.” The paper addresses the role of video codecs in 6G machine-type communications and points toward the needed evolution of video compression for 6G.

At this week's 2025 NAB show, Verizon Business is showing what it is calling “a first-of-its-kind mobile Private 5G Network framework” featuring a portable, environmentally controlled setup that will allow broadcasters to manage complex productions.

The solution, which is being demoed by Verizon Business (Booth W#2530) during the show, is designed to help broadcasters face the challenge of managing dozens of camera feeds during a live event while constantly struggling with location-based connectivity.

The mobile environmentally controlled setup is built on NVIDIA accelerated computing, including NVIDIA AI Enterprise and NVIDIA Holoscan for Media. These solutions provide intelligent video prioritization for live production using AI to manage numerous camera feeds and highlight key moments, the companies reported.

Verizon had previously announced it would partner with NVIDIA to manage and power 5G workloads.

The combined mobile framework can be deployed to leverage different types of spectrum, including C-band, CBRS, and millimeter wave.

Verizon reported that the Verizon mobile framework came to life with key partners including FanDuel TV, Haivision, and Ericsson.

"Live content production and experiential events are evolving rapidly, demanding innovative approaches to content creation, distribution, and fan engagement,” said Daniel Lawson, senior vice president of global solutions, Verizon Business. “We are demonstrating at NAB 2025 how our Private 5G Network, coupled with Enterprise AI solutions, enables more efficient, cost-effective broadcast workflows. Our first-of-its-kind mobile framework is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our dedication to providing cutting-edge solutions to meet the evolving demands of the industry.”

During the show, Verizon also reported that it will have a strong presence on panels and sessions, including:

• Saturday, April 5, 12 p.m. PT, at the NAB Main Stage, Verizon’s Daniel Lawson, SVP, Global Solutions will deliver the Opening Remarks for the 2025 Devoncroft Executive Summit
• Monday, April 7, 12 p.m. PT, at W222-W223, ErinRose Widner, Global Head of Business Strategy, Media & Entertainment, Verizon Business will lead a panel: AI on Location: Deploying Private Networks and Edge Compute for Next Gen Production Workflows’
• Monday, April 7, 2 p.m. PT, at W1768 Theater 1, Tim Stevens, Global Leader of Strategic Innovation, Verizon Business will discuss ‘Unplugging Sports: The Private Wireless Revolution’

BELLEVUE, Wash.—T-Mobile said that working with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, it has broken another world record with its 5G standalone (SA) network reaching peak uplink speeds of over 2.2 Gigabits per second.

The test is an important development for broadcast crews needing fast uplink speeds to send content from sports venues, T-Mobile said.

The speeds were achieved by leveraging an emerging feature called New Radio Dual Connectivity (5G DC). With 5G DC, T-Mobile was able to massively increase uplink throughput and capacity, reaching peak speeds of 2.2 Gbps in a demo that demonstrates the technology’s potential to create serious efficiencies in how data is transmitted from devices to the network, the companies said.

5G DC enabled T-Mobile to aggregate 2.5 GHz and mmWave spectrum, allowing for a massive improvement in uplink throughput and capacity. In this test, T-Mobile was able to allocate 60% of the mmWave radio resources for uplink, whereas previous use cases typically allowed up to 20%. The test was completed on T-Mobile’s 5G SA production network in SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, with equipment and 5G DC solution from Ericsson and a mobile test smartphone powered by a flagship Snapdragon X80 5G Modem-RF System from Qualcomm.

“With 5G DC, T-Mobile is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible to create better experiences in the places that matter most to our customers,” T-Mobile President of Technology Ulf Ewaldsson said. “This accomplishment is a testament to the network we’ve built over the last five years and our ability to deliver unparalleled capabilities that extend beyond the devices in our pockets.”

Download speeds typically reign as the top network performance metric, but with recent strides in uplink capabilities and increasingly demanding tasks, upload speed is becoming more important than ever, especially for live events, mobile gaming and extended reality applications, the companies said.

Because of this, SoFi Stadium served as the perfect test site for 5G DC. Every year, millions of people flock to the stadium for football games or to catch their favorite artists in concert. Naturally, all these people want to post, livestream and share their experiences in real time, which can sometimes be a challenge at crowded events with limited capacity.

In addition, broadcast crews need the capacity to upload high-definition content to production teams in real time. With 5G DC and T-Mobile, all of this gets done faster than ever, alleviating posting FOMO and production crew headaches.

“High uplink speeds are essential for delivering immersive experiences and reliable 5G connectivity,” Ericsson Head of Product, Area Networks Mårten Lerner said. “This mirrors one of our key objectives with the recent launch of Ericsson 5G Advanced, which is to elevate user experience by enhancing network performance for more interactive applications. This 5G uplink speed milestone, achieved with T-Mobile and Qualcomm, underscores our commitment to taking user experience to unprecedented levels.”

Added Qualcomm Vice President, Product Management Sunil Patil: “We are incredibly proud to achieve yet another world record with T-Mobile. This groundbreaking achievement shows what could be possible with 5G DC and how it can bring new, unparalleled experiences to consumers, especially at large events like football games and concerts. We will continue our close collaboration with global innovators like T-Mobile and Ericsson to push the boundaries and unlock the full potential of 5G.”

BELLEVUE, Wash.—In a development that could have implications for fixed wireless speeds and 5G broadcasting, T-Mobile has announced a successful test that leveraged 5G standalone millimeter wave (mmWave) on its production network.

T-Mobile is calling the test results a U.S. 5G first.  

Working with Ericsson and Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., T-Mobile aggregated eight channels of mmWave spectrum to reach download speeds topping 4.3 Gbps without relying on low-band or mid-band spectrum to anchor the connection. T-Mobile also aggregated four channels of mmWave spectrum on the uplink, reaching speeds above 420 Mbps.

5G mmWave can deliver incredibly fast speeds because it offers massive capacity. But the signal doesn’t travel very well through obstacles, making it less ideal for mobile phone users who aren’t sitting still. 

To address that problem, T-Mobile has implemented a multi-band spectrum strategy using low-band to blanket the country and mid-band and high-band (Ultra Capacity) to deliver fast speeds to nearly everyone. 

The 5G mmWave on 5G SA could be used in crowded areas like stadiums and, potentially, for fixed wireless service, T-Mobile said. 

“We’ve been industry leaders – rolling out the first, largest and fastest 5G standalone network across the country – and now we’re continuing to push the boundaries of wireless technology,” said Ulf Ewaldsson, president of Technology at T-Mobile. “We’ve always said we’ll use millimeter wave where it makes sense, and this test allows us to see how the spectrum can be put to use in different situations like crowded venues or to power things like fixed-wireless access when combined with 5G standalone.”

T-Mobile’s 5G network covers more than 330 million people across two million square miles — more than AT&T and Verizon combined. 

In addition about 300 million people nationwide are covered by T-Mobile’s super-fast Ultra Capacity 5G.

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—New research from Ericsson finds that 5G is on track to become the fastest adopted generation of mobile technologies in history, with 5G subs set to top 580 million by the end of 2021 and growing to 3.5 billion around the world in 2026.

By 2026 there will be about 380 million 5G subs in North America accounting for about 84% of all mobile subs in North America. 

Currently 5G operators around the world are adding about 1 million new 5G subs a day. 

The new projections are noteworthy for the media and entertainment industries not only because the fast 5G networks will provide new ways of delivering content to consumers, making mobile devices an even more important platform for video delivery. 

Ericsson is also predicting that global mobile traffic will grow from more than 49 exabyte (EB) per month at the end of the 2020 to about 237 EB per month in 2026, a trend that will have a major impact on the networks cable operators and telcos currently use to deliver data and video. 

Smartphones, which currently carry 95 percent of the mobile traffic, will also be consuming more data than ever. Globally, the average usage-per-smartphone now exceeds 10 GB/month and is forecast to reach 35 GB/month by the end of 2026, according to Ericsson. 

The projections, which come from the annual “Ericsson Mobility Report” also indicate that the rapid development of 5G networks will fuel an explosion of the Internet of Things (IoT) that could have a major impact on the media landscape and the delivery of video. 

The Mobility Report noted that IoT technology (NB-IoT and Cat-M) connections are forecast to increase by almost 80 percent during 2021, reaching almost 330 million connections. In 2026, these technologies are forecast to comprise 46 percent of all cellular IoT connections.

The full report is available here. 

STOCKHOLM, Sweden—About 76% of global wireless bandwidth will be used for video delivery by 2025, according to the new annual Ericsson Mobility Report. The monthly use of 164 exabytes (equivalent to a billion gigabytes) compares to video's current level of 63% (33 EB) and reflects greater use of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) and the continuing expansion of 5G technology, the report says. Ericsson's forecast expects 2.8 billion global 5G subscriptions by the end of 2025, compared to 190 million at the end of this year.

Ericsson's report acknowledges that it has "slightly decreased our 5G subscriptions forecast for 2020 and 2021 in North America," compared to previous estimates, although it offers no reasons other than "LTE will remain the dominant mobile access technology" for the next few years and "is projected to peak in 2022." Ericsson predicts that "5G subscription uptake is expected to be significantly faster than that of LTE" after its 2009 debut.

Video traffic in mobile networks will grow by around 30% annually during the next five years, Ericsson says, driven "by the increase of embedded video in many online applications, growth of video-on-demand (VOD) streaming services ... and viewing time per subscriber." It also cites "the evolution towards higher screen resolutions on smart devices" and "the increasing penetration of video-capable smart devices."

The growing impact of wireless video becomes even more significant when compared to the forecasts of exactly 10 years ago this month, when Cisco's Video Network Index for the year 2020 predicted that video would consume 79% of internet traffic—almost entirely using wireline facilities.

The primary drivers for video traffic growth include the growing role of video in online content such as news, advertising and social media as well as video streaming and sharing services, according to Ericsson's analysis. It also cites:

• Changing user behavior
• Increased segment penetration, not just early adopters
• Evolving devices with larger screens and higher resolutions
• Increased network performance through evolved 4G deployments
• Emerging immersive media formats and applications, such as high definition and ultra HD, 360-degree video, augmented and virtual reality

The report also cites that decades-old visionary goal: "video being consumed anywhere, any time" (although it overlooked the "any device" trope).

Ericsson expects that video streaming via wireless networks will rely on higher resolution quality than the current 480p format.

"With smartphones and networks improving constantly, streaming in HD (720p) and Full HD (1080p) is becoming more common," the report says. "More immersive media formats and applications are expected to become a significant factor contributing to mobile data traffic growth, as 5G networks will provide the performance needed for a good user experience. For example, watching a streamed e-sports event in multi-view would consume about 7GB per hour, while a high-quality AR/VR stream with a media (bit) rate of 25Mbps would consume as much as 12GB per hour."

This year's forecast slightly ups the outlook that Ericsson predicted a year ago, when it expected 5G to account for 55% of North American mobile subscriptions by 2024.

COVID-19 IMPACT

Ericsson's report begins with an examination of the role of networks and digital infrastructure during the COVID-19 pandemic, described by Fredrik Jejdling, Ericsson's executive VP and head of business area networks. He cites the impact of novel coronavirus starting early this year, including lockdown restrictions and new work-from-home "digital behaviors."

The report explains that, "in markets with limited penetration of fixed residential networks, the mobile data demand increase was especially high" and that in some markets "service providers made temporary changes to data plans [such as]... unlimited data for a certain period of time." The report also cites, "up to 90% increase in Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWiFi) calls for some service providers" and an "increase of 20% to 70% in voice due to more and longer calls. Data traffic increased due to more bidirectional and streaming services."

EXPANDEDED ROLE FOR FIXED WIRELESS ACCESS 

FWA connections are forecast to reach nearly 160 million by end of 2025 – totaling about 25% percent of global mobile network data traffic. At the end of 2019, global FWA data traffic was estimated to have been around 15% of the global total. It is now projected to grow nearly 8 fold to reach 53 exabytes in 2025, representing 25% of the global total mobile network data traffic.

"FWA delivered over 4G or 5G is an increasingly cost-efficient alternative for providing broadband," says the report, citing factors that are driving the FWA market, including growing demand for digital services and government-sponsored programs and subsidies in some countries.

STOCKHOLM—By 2030, simply watching something on TV, or any screen-based platform, could be so 10 years ago; instead, consumers may be able to enjoy content that engages all of their senses: sight, sound, taste, smell and touch.

This is according to the ninth edition of the Ericsson ConsumerLab Hot Consumer Trends report, which takes a close look at the developments and potential uses of the Internet of Senses, and how consumers believe it will be put to use.

According to Ericsson, the Internet of Senses will be enabled by things like AI, VR, AR, 5G and automation. With these capabilities, consumers predict that by 2030 the Internet of Senses’ multisensory experiences will be a strong competitor to screen-based experiences, with the expected immersive entertainment offerings predicted to be “almost inseparable from reality.”

“We’re talking about a shift from current smartphone-based internet connectivity to immersive experiences resulting from our senses being connected,” said Dr. Pernilla Jonsson, head of Ericsson Consumer & IndustryLab and co-author of the report.

The report specifically details 10 consumer trends for 2030 based on Internet of Senses:

• 59% of consumers believe that VR glasses will be able to present a map just by thinking of a destination;
• 67% believe they will be able to mimic anyone’s voice by using a microphone;
• 45% predict a device that can digitally enhance what you eat and how it tastes;
• About six in 10 respondents thought they will be able to digitally visit forests or other environments and experience their natural smells;
• More than six in 10 think that smartphone screens will convey the shape and texture of digital icons and buttons they are pressing;
• Virtual reality games will be indistinguishable from the real world, according to seven of 10 respondents;
• Half of respondents think news reporting services will have extensive fact checking features to eliminate “fake news;”
• Half expect privacy issues to be fully resolved;
• Six in 10 believe that Internet of Senses will make society more environmentally sustainable; and
• 45% of consumers anticipate digital malls that can utilize all five senses while shopping

Read the full 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2030 report via Ericsson.

STOCKHOLM—As wireless providers worldwide expand their rollout of 5G services over the next several years, one wireless vendor believes there will be 10 million subscriptions to the next-gen wireless standard by the end of 2019, with that number expanding to 1.9 billion by 2024, representing more than 20% of all mobile subscriptions.

According to Ericsson’s latest Mobility Report, most new 5G subscribers will be users trading up their 4G handsets to 5G-compatible devices, but by 2024, many young users in mature markets will get a 5G smartphone as their first device.

4G LTE subscriptions will peak at 5.3 billion subs by 2022 and start to decline but will remain the dominant wireless service with about 5 billion subs by 2024, according to the report.

The total number of smartphone subscriptions worldwide by the end of 2018 numbers 5.1 billion, 99% of which were for 3G or 4G with the overall number of subscriptions to reach 7.2 billion by 2024. Subscriptions for fixed broadband are expected to grow only 3% over the period with subscriptions for mobile PCs, tablets and routers to grow moderately, reaching 330 million within five years, according to the report.

As has been predicted for years by Cisco, video will dominate mobile data traffic for the foreseeable future, with video traffic expected to grow 34% annually up to 2024, representing nearly 75% of all mobile data traffic by then, up from 60% in 2018.

The main drivers for video traffic growth vary, according to Ericsson.

“Mobile video traffic growth is driven by the increase of embedded video in many online applications, growth of VOD streaming services in terms of both subscribers and viewing time per subscriber, and the perpetual evolution towards higher screen resolutions on smart devices,” Ericsson said. “All these factors have been influenced by the increasing penetration of video-capable smart devices.”

Spectrum sharing is expected to help facilitate faster 5G rollouts, the report said.

“A fast way to build coverage is to utilize existing frequency band used by today’s LTE networks,” Ericsson said. “By implementing spectrum sharing, service providers can run LTE and 5G traffic on the same bands. This enables them to provide 5G coverage quickly but requires device chipset support. Chipsets are currently in development and are anticipated to be in 5G commercial devices in late 2019.”

Geographically, the largest consumer of mobile data traffic is North East Asia (China) and India logs the highest average usage per smartphone. In terms of 5G subscriptions, North America is expected to lead the way with 270 million 5G subscriptions, representing more than 60% of all mobile subscriptions by 2024.

Total mobile data traffic continues to grow globally and is predicted to reach 131 exabytes by the end of 2024, the report said.

The initial success of 5G will be driven by fixed wireless services rather than mobile apps, as nearly half of consumers believe that current smartphone designs will not be able to take advantage of the standard’s ultra-fast speeds. This is prompting most consumers to look first at using 5G to replace home wireless broadband and cable TV. In addition, many believe that 5G will mean that smartphones could be replaced by augmented reality glasses within the next five years.

These are some of the conclusions drawn by Ericsson in its new “5G Consumer Potential” report that focuses on “busting the myths around the value of 5G for consumers.” The report is the result of more than 35,000 online interviews conducted by Ericsson Consumer & Industry Lab on consumers aged 15-69 in 22 countries, as well as interviews with industry experts.

The report predicts worldwide adoption of 5G will come in three phases:

• Home wireless broadband and premium smartphone experiences that allow content to be downloaded in seconds are expected to go mainstream within one year of 5G launch;

• Moving away from traditional cable TV and opting for a UHD TV service (5G TV) bundled with 5G home wireless broadband (this was the most popular on consumer’s wishlist), and

• The ability to use 5G hot zone services that offer ultra-high speeds and reliability in demanding locations like airports, shopping streets and office spaces.

According to the report, a quarter of households (one-third in the U.S.) have become “hyperconnected” with more than 10 connected devices, covering smartphones, tablets, PCs, smart TVs, voice controlled devices and VR headsets. Households worldwide average six connected screens and one third expect to add at least one more screen within the next year.

Consumer dissatisfaction over slower than advertised broadband speeds and inadequate TV bundles is prompting one-third of fixed home broadband users to look for alternate providers, Ericsson says. When offered the prospect of 5G home wireless broadband, 8 of 10 who say they want to switch would consider supplementing or outright replacing their service.

"The market is established and home 4G broadband connections are under pressure,” said Jan Trionow, CEO of Austrian-based telco Three. “Capacity is needed to continue the business, improve connectivity and to do this on a nationwide scale.”

The attraction of 5G services vary geographically, according to the report, with U.S. and U.K. consumers preferring to attach 5G TV services to their plan; Chinese preferring a 5G “smart home;” Koreans advocating shopping in VR with tactile feedback and Saudi Arabian consumers preferring immersive.

The death of the smartphone in its current form factor has been predicted for several years now and consumers seem to have paid attention, according to Ericsson. Half of those surveyed believe that by 2025, smartphones will still exist, but that many others will be using 5G-enabled “smart glasses” that use augmented reality to display and manipulate much more data.

"The smartphone will be dead in five years' time," predicts Johan Hagegård at IMRSV, an AR/VR innovation house. "I will instead have smart glasses in front of me all the time." Matt Stagg of EE agrees with this bold prediction: "The smartphone as we see it now does not have anything on it. It can't take advantage of 5G, such as holographic apps, in the longer term."

Average world smartphone usage in 2018 stood at 5.6 GB per month and is expected to increase to 21 GB per month in 2024, an increase of roughly 4x from today's usage, according to Ericsson. And with the emergence of 5G, consumers also expect to vastly increase their use of video, including viewing video on holographic displays.

Currently video consumes 60 percent of worldwide data usage and half of the consumers surveyed said they expect 5G will spur them to watch more video content in 4K.

In terms of affordability, on average, smartphone users said they would be willing to pay a premium of 20 percent over and above what they pay today for the benefits of 5G. However, half of all early adopters who are familiar with 5G's promises could pay as much as 32 percent more than they do today, according to Ericsson.

“Consumers' willingness to pay should be interpreted as a stronger measure of their interest in 5G-enabled services," Ericsson said. "However, it should not be interpreted as a prediction of how much they will pay for a certain service.”

SANTA CLARA, CA—Ericsson Media Solutions today announced it has rebranded itself as MediaKind, the home of technologies from companies acquired by Ericsson, such as Aspex, Azuki Systems, Envivio, Fabrix, HyCGroup, Microsoft Mediaroom and Tandberg Television.

“We understand the power of media and how it is evolving. It runs in our DNA, and it’s our passion,” said Angel Ruiz, MediaKind CEO. The goal of the company is to enable MediaKind customers to “create and deliver immersive media experiences,” he added.

Currently, the company serves more than 900 cable, satellite and telecom service providers as well as broadcasters worldwide. In 2017, Ericsson divvied up its media businesses into two divisions: Ericsson Media Solutions, which includes its Emmy award-winning video compression solutions for contribution and direct-to-consumer video service distribution, advertising and content personalization, cloud DVR and TV and video delivery platforms; and Red Bee Media, formerly Ericsson Broadcast & Media Services, which focuses on playout, OTT, media management and accessibility solutions. 

[Read: Ericsson Media Solutions Launches MediaFirst UHD Media Processing And Encoding Platform]

On Jan. 31, private equity firm One Equity Partners announced its intention to become the majority owner of Ericsson Media Solutions. The MediaKind brand will be carried forward when the this transaction is complete, MediaKind said.

Besides Ruiz, the management team of MediaKind includes: Gowton Achaibar, COO and Head of R&D; Heather Andrade-Neumann, Chief People Officer; Arun Bhikshesvaran, CMO; Misty Kawecki, CFO; Mark Russell, CTO and Strategy Officer; Sven Bolthausen, SVP commercial management & sales support; Alex Borland, SVP EMEA sales; Clayton Cruz, SVP Latin American sales; Steve Payne, SVP North America sales; and Ken Yap, SVP North East Asia sales.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

LOS ANGELES—Fox Sports will put 5G to the test for wireless camera contribution next month during the 118th U.S. Open Championship at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club when it will use an AT&T ad hoc 5G network to transmit 4K HDR shots from two cameras on the course’s par-3 seventh hole to the Fox Sports production truck covering the tournament.

“We have a fair amount of 4K flying around the U.S. Open,” says Michael Davies, senior vice president, Field & Technical Operations for Fox Sports. “We are doing some native 4K production for DirecTV as we’ve done the last two years. This [the wireless camera use] is more of a proof of concept. But overall, these cameras will be incorporated into that 4K workflow, so if production needs them, they have them.”

[Read: DirecTV To Offer Quad-Screen, 4K U.S. Open]

Deploying 5G for 4K wireless camera contribution is a collaborative effort of Fox Sports, Fox Innovation Labs, Ericsson, Intel and AT&T. Ericsson will provide the 5G radios, baseband, simulated network core and 4K video encoder and decoder; Intel will supply its 5G Mobile Trial Platform, a compact 5G device capable of transmitting 1.6 Gbps that will provide 5G to IP translation; and AT&T will set up a temporary millimeter wave network connection to deliver the 4K shots from the seventh hole.

The seventh hole is in a secluded part of the course, so when Fox Sports did its site survey of Shinnecock, that hole made the most sense for the 4K wireless camera test, says Davies. Wireless 4K contribution will be in addition to, not in place of, Fox Sports’ HD shots from the seventh hole.

“When technology is in its early stages, like this, we layer base cameras on top of what we have,” he says. “The only difference is these cameras will probably stay at the seventh hole. They won’t roam the course.”

The sports network has established “some reasonable goals” for the test, which include limiting the range of the test cameras from their 5G receiver, he adds. “In theory, a future 5G network would allow you to walk wherever you have coverage.”

“I was first exposed to the promise of 5G at the Mobile World Congress a couple of years ago,” he says. “I thought about 5G but never really knew how powerful it was going to be. But now it’s clear this technology has the ability to increase our capabilities by exponents, not percentages.”

In Davies’ view, there is nothing in the broadcast business that isn’t potentially touched by 5G technology. From very large shows like the U.S. Open to small shows where there is no need to wire cameras, 5G will make its presence felt, says Davies.

[Read: The Dazzling Future Of 5G Wireless]

That’s especially true now that Fox Sports and others in the industry are on the IP production path with the adoption and deployment of SMPTE ST 2110. “What's nice is the way we are doing production in IP. IP and 5G are going to meet up quite nicely in the future,” he says.

“Obviously, it’s a lot of wait and see [regarding 5G], but I think we will look back at this small test as our very first shot at using this technology to get our heads around what it’s capable of. I think ultimately this technology will be extremely disruptive,” he says.

While testing 5G technology is the primary objective, there are other benefits. “We get to know companies like Ericsson, Intel and AT&T, and they get to see how we work,” Davies explains. “When they are thinking about things at this very early stage, we’ve got a chance to explain to them what we think could be very useful in the future and they can build that in.”

Although the shots from the seventh hole will be the first Fox Sports use of 5G at a golf tournament, AT&T already has provided 22 live 5G links to support 3,8000 terabytes of network capacity in February at the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea.

The 118 U.S. Open Championship will air on Fox and FS1 June 14-17.

LAS VEGAS—At the NAB Show, Ericsson Media Solutions launched its MediaFirst media processing and encoding platform for delivering Ultra-High Definition (UHD) and High Dynamic Range (HDR) content from camera to consumer. The software-based, multi-application solution is targeted to meet the growing demand for a higher-quality, immersive TV viewing experience.

Designed from the ground up, the new solution leverages high-performance algorithms and advanced technology for UHD encoding and contribution workflows.

It also enables the use of HDR technology for a more immersive consumer experience, as well as flexible formatting and deployment via private, public or hybrid cloud platforms.

“As ownership of 4K/UHD and HDR-ready TV sets increases,” said Boris Felts, Head of Products and Solutions at Ericsson Media Solutions, “There is a huge opportunity for operators to differentiate [themselves] by delivering more immersive and high-quality viewing experiences. Our … end-to-end UHD processing solution is the first on the market to unlock this potential.”

[Read: Ericsson Renames Media Services Business Red Bee Media]

The MediaFirst TV platform combines Ericsson Media Solutions’ modular AVP system encoders that deliver MPEG-2, MPEG-4 AVC and HEVC efficient compression, with MediaFirst video processing and content processing . The workflow also includes a UHD TV decoder for high-bitrate, superior low latency 4K HEVC decoding, and future proofing flexibility for current and evolving HDR standards.

Combined with the Ericsson Video Storage and Processing Platform (VSPP), MediaFirst provides a unified solution for cloud DVR, on-demand and time/place-shifted TV services, supporting all media and screens up to UHD resolution, and increasingly immersive video experiences.

Ericsson has sold 51 per cent of its Media Solutions business to a private equity company.

One Equity Partners will become the new majority owner of Media Solutions business with assets and staff transferring to a new independent company when the deal closes in the third quarter of 2018.

Ericsson said the new company "will establish Media Solutions as a leading independent video technology company with strong and committed financial support driving continued investment in innovation and growth."

See also: Ericsson Renames Media Services Business Red Bee Media

Angel Ruiz, who will continue to lead Media Solutions as the CEO, said: “The work we have done to integrate and advance our end-to-end roadmap is paying off in strong customer engagement. One Equity Partners brings valuable experience in the media and telecom sectors, and we’re confident that we have found the right partner to further develop and grow the business.”

Ericsson says it will now focus on developing Red Bee Media.

Steve Nylund, CEO, Red Bee Media, said: “Red Bee Media is already today a leading broadcast and media service provider, with a strong customer base among the top tier broadcasters and service providers. Our focus is now on improving and transforming Red Bee Media, in partnership with our customers, to enable our full potential as an independent and focused media services business.”

This article originally appeared in TVB Europe.

STOCKHOLM—Bell Canada has selected Ericsson Media Solutions’ MediaFirst TV end-to-end media management and delivery platform to provide more than 1.5 million Fibe TV and Alt TV subscribers with personalized TV across multiple screens, the company announced today. Ericsson and Bell Canada’s relationship began in 2010 with the launch of the Fibe TV service and Mediaroom deployment.

By integrating MediaFirst with Mediaroom, Bell Canada will be able to deliver a next-gen TV platform that is agile and flexible enough to integrate third-party apps, Ericsson said in a press release announcing the deal.

“We look forward to taking the game-changing Fibe TV and Alt TV even further, enabling next generation services across a wider range of devices by leveraging the innovative IPTV technologies of Ericsson MediaFirst,” said Rizwan Jamal, Bell Canada’s president of Residential and Small Business in the release.

STOCKHOLM—As 2017 dwindles down to its final few days, people are looking ahead to what may be some of the big new trends in technology in 2018 and beyond. Ericsson has come out with its seventh annual trend report and some of the highlights indicate that people think that technology could be change rapidly in the next few years to provide more human-like experiences.

One emerging trend cited in the report is the rise of social broadcasting. Users say that social media is being “overrun” by traditional broadcasters, but half of consumers say artificial intelligence would be useful to check facts posted on social networks.

Intelligent ads are also something people have their eye on. Augmented and virtual reality users believe that ads will become so realistic that they could eventually replace the products themselves.

Other trends that the report pinpointed was the development of intelligent voice assistants that can read a person’s body language, expression, intonation and touch; the development of long-lasting batteries; VR that allows users to walk around in smartphone photos; and augmented hearing.

Some of the trends also indicate users’ fears. As many as 30 percent of users say the continued emergence of new technology makes it hard to keep up to date. Around half of respondents said that they would be spooked if they couldn’t tell a difference between a human and a machine. A portion also think that a road network for drones—or flying cars—would help with traffic; though many worry about drones falling on people. It’s not all doom and gloom, 40 percent of respondents said they would like to have a robot do their work and earn their income while they spend more time relaxing.

The full report is available here.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services business will be renamed Red Bee Media, effective immediately, the company announced today.

Red Bee Media simultaneously will begin being run as an independent business that is fully owned by Ericsson, according to a company announcement.

The change does not affect the Ericsson Media Solutions business, which among other things offers encoders and transcoders for use by television broadcasters, the cable industry and others. In March, the company announced it would seek strategic options for Ericsson Media Solutions and its IT cloud infrastructure businesses.

Ericsson won regulatory approval for its acquisition of Red Bee Media in March 2014. Since then, the company has added other media service acquisitions, including Technicolor’s broadcast services division in July 2012 and FYI Television in January 2016, to the Red Bee Media portfolio.

“The Red Bee Media brand has a long and rich heritage in TV and media and is well recognized across the industry. Adopting this brand will enable us to strengthen our position as an independent and agile media services organization,” said Red Bee Media CEO in a press release announcing the renaming.

Red Bee Media offers its media services portfolio in Australia, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, the U.K. and the U.S. The company’s service lineup includes media management, playout, OTT, access services, content discovery, creative services and sports graphics and analysis solutions.

More information is available on the company’s website.

STOCKHOLM—Three new HD channels are being launched by Fox Networks Group Middle East with playout, media management and global distribution help from Ericsson, per a new multi-year contract. Launched within the last month, Fox Crime, Fox Life and Fox Rewayat broadcast 24 hours a day from Ericsson’s broadcast and media service hub in Abu Dhabi.

Ericsson will encode the channels for distribution across Fox’s global affiliate network from its broadcast and media services hubs in Abu Dhabi and Hilversum, using Ericsson’s secure internet distribution platform.

Fox Crime is dedicated to crime and investigation and will feature reality and drama programing. Fox Life will offer programing on food, home and wellness specific to the Middle East. Fox Rewayat is Fox Network’s first ever Arabic language channel.

These three new channels join seven other Fox Network channels managed by Ericsson at its Abu Dhabi hub, including Fox Movies, Fox, Fox Star Movies, Star World, Fox Action Movies, Fox Family Movies and FX.

STOCKHOLM—TV viewing is on the move, literally. In eighth edition of its ConsumerLab TV and Media Report, Ericsson has learned that the traditional ways of watching TV are shifting. Among their findings are that more people are going mobile, on-demand continues to rise and that virtual reality will continue to make inroads with consumers.

By the time we reach 2020, Ericsson says that 50 percent of TV and video viewing will be mobile, with viewers watching on a tablet, laptop or smartphone screen; an 85 percent increase since 2010. The smartphone will particularly be popular, representing about a quarter of total TV viewing. Already, 70 percent of consumers say they now watch video on their smartphones, double what it was in 2012.

Ericsson reports that a consumer’s time spent watching TV and video content has hit an all-time high of 30 hours a week, including traditional linear, on-demand, and downloaded or recorded content. It’s on-demand content that is charging out ahead, with nearly 60 percent of viewers saying they prefer on-demand viewing over scheduled linear TV viewing. The number of on-demand services used by the average consumer has gone up from 1.6 in 2012 to 3.8 in 2017; two in five consumers said they already pay for on-demand TV services and 32 percent plan to increase their on-demand spending within the next year.

These trends are clearly evident in 16-19-year-olds, who are 33 hours a week view the most content of any age group. Ericsson found that more than half of the age group watches content on-demand and more than 60 percent of viewing hours spent on a mobile device.

While viewing time is up, so is the amount of time spent searching for content, per the report. The average time spent searching for content has increased nearly an hour a day, 13 percent higher than last year. Six in 10 consumers now consider content discovery “very important” when subscribing for a new service; 70 percent want universal search for all TV and video.

Consumers are also expected to continue to support VR, with a reported third of consumers projected to be VR users by 2020. Though there are still challenges. The price of headsets is an issue for 55 percent of consumers and more than half want more immersive content to be available. The idea of a VR bundle from TV and video providers is something of interest for a third of respondents.

The full report is available here.

NEW YORK—Forensic watermarking technology company NexGuard has entered into a technology partnership with Ericsson and announced the launch of its Network ID product. The technology is designed to insert a unique invisible forensic watermark in primary distribution feeds for linear TV, whether its satellite or fiber.

The Network ID technology can be used to provide clear evidence of the distribution path to determine the source of illegally distributed signals. It also serves as proof of ownership to enable the take down of pirated streams.

NexGuard has integrated the Network ID into Ericsson’s RX8200 advanced modular receiver for satellite distribution applications.

NexGuard and Ericsson will showcase Network ID at their booths during IBC 2017.

STOCKHOLM—At IBC 2017, Ericsson is launching a new standard dynamic range (SDR) to high dynamic range (HDR) conversion toolset, that enables broadcasters to meet the complex requirements of delivering a consistent, high quality HDR live TV service.

The launch comes at a time when HDR content is limited, particularly for live TV services.

If an HDR live channel is transmitting a mix of HDR and SDR content (like SDR advertising, interstitials or news inserts) on an HDR TV in HDR mode, the SDR content will be incorrectly displayed and look very obviously wrong to the viewer.

Relying on the television to switch modes between HDR to SDR to HDR, in response to a transmitted signalling has significant quality risks, as the television may take time to switch, or fail to switch at all (if there is a missing or incorrect signal). This is especially risky with multiple SDR and HDR changeover points happening in rapid succession.

It is this uncertainty over switching which becomes an issue for the reputation of the HDR channel with consumers and also causes issues with the HDR content owners.

The newly launched Ericsson solution is introduced during encoding in the head end and uses a process known as inverse tone mapping (ITM), which rebalances the chroma and luma of the SDR content, so it can be shown back to back with HDR content, without any need for the HDR TV to switch.

Using Ericsson’s new ITM algorithm in the head end encoders, means HDR service providers have full control over displaying both SDR and HDR. This approach empowers services providers rather than relying on TV vendors and is less disruptive than having to deploy a completely new generation of third party set top boxes. This new solution enables a guaranteed enriched and immersive HDR visual experience that is compelling for the viewer.

Ericsson will be located at booth 1.D61 during IBC 2017, which takes place Sept. 15-19 in Amsterdam. 

TORONTO, DUBLIN & LOS ANGELES—Ericsson and QYOU Media have struck a distribution agreement that will see Ericsson’s Unified Delivery Network ecosystem carry QYOU’s curated online video content. Established in 2016, Ericsson’s UDN is an alternative to traditional content delivery networks that is designed to help service providers, content providers and IPTV providers offer optimized delivery of OTT services and high-quality video content.

Ericsson will deliver QYOU content through UDN to existing customers, while also offering QYOU content programming to Ericsson’s service provider customer base. In addition, Ericsson will also distribute the QYOU app on connected TVs and set-top boxes. There will also be a provision for QYOU to add localized content to new connected devices and new markets.

QYOU is a curator of “best-of-web” video, with a particular focus programming that appeals to the millennial audience.

Click on the Image to Enlarge

STOCKHOLM—A vast number of people are excited about the possibilities of virtual and augmented reality, but the TV industry might not be thrilled by some of the findings in Ericsson’s latest Consumer Lab report, “Merged Reality.” According to the report, a number of consumers believe that virtual screens will eventually replace TVs, starting perhaps as soon as next year.

The lab report indicates that as many as half of the early adopters of VR have increased their video usage in VR. More than a third (37 percent) of the respondents have shifted some of their video viewing on physical screens to video experiences in VR. Watching videos will be the most popular activity with VR—even more than gaming—according to more than half of those who took part in the report, with a quarter saying that within the next year they could be watching traditional TV/movie content simply through a VR headset and might not even need to own a physical screen.

Much of this is tied to VR/ARs development with 5G. The report indicates that 36 percent of respondents that 5G is needed to provide VR/AR mobility through a bandwidth network, while 30 percent think 5G will enable headsets to become wireless.

Additional findings showed that it wasn’t just the TV industry that VR could be affecting, seven out of 10 in the report expected VR/AR to have an impact on media, education, work, social interaction, travel and retail.

To see the full report from Ericsson, click here.

INDIANAPOLIS—Ericsson, in partnership with Intel and Verizon, took to the track during the Indianapolis 500 to test some 5G network and virtual reality technology.

Screenshot by Corinne Reichert/ZDNet

Technologies such as beam forming and beam tracking, which use antenna arrays to steer a beam to where a user is with less radio interference, were utilized to attain speeds of 6Gbps across Verizon’s 5G trial network. Ericsson also installed a camera on the roof of the race car and fitted the driver with a 5G-enabled VR headset showing a 4K video stream of the track from the camera.

Ericsson and Verizon reported that during the trials they attained downlink speeds of 6.4Gbps in a vehicle travelling at 60 miles per hour.

For more information, read the full story of ZDNet.

LAS VEGAS—At a Sunday press conference, Ericsson announced a multi-year strategic partnership to deliver TV services at web speed to China and launched a new open content discovery ecosystem that brings together a broad range of TV and movie data sources and applications.

Kris Hardiman, head of product marketing, media, Ericsson

The China deal sees Ericsson partnering with cloud computing and big data service provider Inspur to develop a cloud-enabled TV platform for operators in the Chinese market using Ericsson’s end-to-end MediaFirst suite.

Shandong Cable Network, the largest operator in the Asia Pacific region and one of the largest in the world, will be the first to deploy the TV platform in China. The service will deliver live and on-demand TV content to 20 million subscribers across Shandong Province.

The open content discovery ecosystem will be delivered through a single API in real time and includes a network of partners, including universal search and deep linking specialist ColorTV, content-as-aservice provider IVA and data enrichment, content discovery, recommendation and targeted services provider XroadMedia.

“Data is such a strong philosophy and part of how our customers compete today,” said Kris Hardiman, head of product marketing, media, for Ericsson. “This is what it takes to compete today.”

Copyright NAB 2017 

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson will unwrap two of its latest products at the 2017 NAB Show that assist with IP and cloud native delivery models, the MediaFirst Management Controller and MediaFirst Encoding Live 8.1.

The MediaFirst Management Controller is designed to simplify the transition to software-based architecture, offering a unified access point for Ericsson MediaFirst Video Processing products, including Encoding Live, On Demand, Packaging and Stream Processing. The system streamlines application management and deployment across many services and clusters and features centralized visibility, configuration and control, flexible failover and licensing management for MediaFirst Video Processing applications.

The MediaFirst Encoding Live 8.1 system offers users faster content deployment, operational efficient delivery and immersive consumer experiences. Its features include a unified microservice architecture across all platforms, centralized management, integral failover and dynamic licensing benefits. When deployed with Intel’s Quick Sync Video’s video hardware core, the system offers faster video transcoding and high density.

These new additions to the MediaFirst Video Processing portfolio assist users with services for UHD, virtual and augmented reality, and can be operated on software, COTS server hardware, or private and public cloud.

Both platforms will be featured at Ericsson’s booth, SU720, during the 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS—Ericsson will highlight advances in 8K 360-degree video, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR), as well as launch its MediaFirst Stream Personalization solution at the 2017 NAB Show.

Visitors to Ericsson’s booth will see an industry innovation zone featuring immersive multi-TV VR, 8K 360-degree video experiences and AR sports graphics, enabled by cutting-edge media processing and delivery technologies.

Ericsson will also demo the integration of Internet of Things (IoT) devices with its MediaFirst TV Platform, which transforms the TV interface into the control center of the smart home. Using Ericsson’s frame-accurate dynamic ad insertion and content replacement solutions for over-the-top (OTT) streaming, MediaFirst Stream Personalization helps broadcasters personalize and monetize multiscreen video services to provide content tailored to the individual.

It works across multiple formats with any player, and offers the ability to insert ads in HLS, Smooth Streaming, and MPEGDASH. It also offers comprehensive usage logs, which when coupled with analytics, enables a better understanding of audiences and business intelligence.

Ericsson will also introduce new captioning services, including: Snap Captions for offline captioning, the cloud-based Subito Vault captioning workflow, and the Subito Conversion and Delivery Engine, which automatically converts broadcast caption files for cross-platform output and delivery.

The 2017 NAB Show takes place in Las Vegas, April 24-27. Ericssonwill be in boothSU720. For more information, visit www.nabshow.com.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson and BBC Creative are going to be partners for the next couple of years, as the two have entered into a multi-year contract that will see Ericsson provide post-production and media management services to the England-based broadcaster.

Among the services that will be provided by Ericsson include craft editing, desktop editing and design, sound and captioning, and storage, which includes browse functionality and archive facilities from Ericsson’s cloud-based media processing platform. All of these services will be based in Ericsson’s London facility, with craft edit, audio and captioning suites available exclusively for BBC.

BBC Creative is responsible for producing content for a multitude of campaigns across all of BBC’s platforms.

BARCELONA—Ericsson said that it and Telstra, along with the Fox Innovation Lab at 21st Century Fox, will debut a content delivery methodology that will “pre-position personalized, premium movie content directly onto consumer devices, with no impact to device performance or consumer data plans,” at Mobile World Congress 2017 in the fabled Catalonia city. This content-push model relies LTE-“B” for “broadcast,” a cellular standard that is said to transmit one-to-many.

“Participants will receive notifications when the latest movies that match their interests become available. The movies are pre-positioned on the consumer’s device and are available immediately for purchase or rent and play in full 1080p HD and high quality audio without interruption, both online and offline, and irrespective of network connectivity.

The pilot will kick off today, Monday, and will last for one month. A closed number of Telstra, Fox and Ericsson customers will obtain a mobile device with a trial app, giving them instant access to new release movie titles provided by Twentieth Century Fox, in HD 1080P.

This platform leverages Ericsson MediaFirst’s cloud-based media store for content processing and origin; Ericsson’s Unified Delivery Network for global content delivery; and the Ericsson MediaFirst TV end-user platform.

Per Borgklint, senior vice president, chief innovation officer and head of the Ericsson Media business unit, called the pilot program “the first service offering of its kind and an important industry milestone.”

Andrew Penn, CEO of Australian telecom, Telstra, said the platform will use“Telstra’s Media Optimized Network, including LTE-B capability to pre-position content, and therefore have limited impact on overall network traffic with little to no additional infrastructure cost.”

Hanno Basse, chief technology officer of Twentieth Century Fox and managing director of Fox Innovation Lab, adds: “Ericsson is a valued partner and has been integral to advancing the Fox Innovation Lab’s mission to develop cutting-edge mobile experiences. This pilot is the first step to developing future solutions that will see faster and easier delivery of our content right into the hands of our consumers.”

NEW YORK—Verizon this week announced that it intended to launch 5G pilot programs in 11 U.S. markets by mid-2017. “Verizon’s 5G build is the largest proving ground in the world and encompasses several hundred cell sites that cover several thousand customer locations,” the cellular service provider said.

Verizon intends to launch “pre-commercial” 5G in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Atlanta, Bernardsville, N.J.; Brockton, Mass.; Dallas, Denver, Houston, Miami, Sacramento, Seattle and Washington, D.C.

Verizon said the pilot program leverages its 5G Technology Forum partners, including Ericsson, which announced the development of a “5G core system” earlier this month.

“Ericsson’s partnership with Verizon in rolling out 5G customer trials is accelerating the global 5G ecosystem,” said Rima Qureshi, head of region North America for Ericsson. “These end-to-end solutions are a key step for preparing Verizon’s network for commercial deployment with different 5G scenarios and use cases.”

Verizon said the 5GTF partners, including Intel, Qualcomm and Samsung in addition to Ericsson and Verizon, are “well on their way to commercializing chipsets, infrastructure products, and consumer devices based on the 5GTF specification.”

Woojune Kim, vice president of the Next-Generation Business Team for Samsung, said, “The 5G systems we are deploying will soon provide wireless broadband service to homes, enabling customers to experience cost-competitive, gigabit speeds that were previously only deliverable via fiber.”

The Verizon said 5GTF has “delivered an open specification for 5G fixed wireless that is immediately implementable.”

In further developments in the wireless space, the Federal Communications Commission yesterday approved of the first use of unlicensed LTE in the 5 GHz band, with equipment modification grants for Ericsson and Nokia. 

Also see...
Feb. 17, 2017
“Rohde & Schwarz Does 5G Field Measurements at 28 GHz”

Feb. 16, 2017
“Ericsson Launches 5G Core System”

Feb. 7, 2107,
“Report: 5G Poised to Challenge Cable, Satellite and IPTV”

Jan 24.2017
“AT&T Plans DirecTV Now Over 5G in Austin”

Sept. 6, 2016
“McAdams On: 5G Streaming”

June, 20, 2016
“Wheeler Pushes for 5G Spectrum Frontier”

Nov. 18, 2015
“Ericsson: 5G Mobile Subs to Hit 150 Million by 2021”

Jan. 26, 2015
“FCC Comments Urge Allocation of Spectrum Above 24 GHz for 5G And More”

Jan. 26, 2015
“Ofcom Consults on 5G Mobile Technology for the U.K. ”

Dec. 5, 2014
“IBM, Ericsson Collaborate on 5G Antenna Designs”

Nov. 24, 2014
“ZTE and China Mobile Test World's First 'Pre-5G' Massive MIMO Base Station”

Sept. 22, 2014
“Xilinx, China Mobile Research Institute Partner on Virtualized 5G Network”

July 10, 2014
“Ericsson 5G Reaches 5 Gbps”

June 12,2014
“Researchers Develop Innovative Solutions for 60 GHz 5G networks”

May 19, 2014
“5G Wireless Trial Planned in 15 GHz Spectrum”

May 20, 2013
“More Details Emerge on Samsung 28 GHz 5G Wireless Technology”
The technology works at 28 GHz and uses a 64-element adaptive antenna array to provide data rates of 1.056 Gbps over distances up to 2 km.

WASHINGTON—The Federal Communications Commission this morning announced that it had “just authorized the first LTE-U—LTE for unlicensed—devices in the 5 GHz band.” This was according to a tweet from @FCC on Twitter, and soon after, a rare blog post from Julius Knapp, chief of the FCC Office of Engineering & Technology.

“This action follows a collaborative industry process to ensure co-existence of LTE-U with Wi-Fi and other unlicensed devices operating in the 5 GHz band,” Knapp wrote.

(Addendum: Please note that after publication of this article, TV Technology was apprised of T-Mobile’s intention to launch LTE-U later this year: “T-Mobile Tees Up LTE-U for Spring Deployment,” Feb. 23, 2017 )

There was no specific public notice on the action, but rather a couple of equipment modification grants for Ericsson and Nokia. The Nokia grant covered its FW2R LTE module, a 2x2 MIMO transmitter operating in the 5,160 to 5,240 MHz band at 0.581 watts maximum combined conducted output power; and at 5,745 to 5,825 MHz at 0.583 watts output—in both 20 and 40 MHz BW modes.

Nokia received a limited single-modular approval (click image at right for .pdf version) subject to a number of conditions, including that it the FW2R cannot be marketed to third parties or the general public. The antenna also must be installed to provide a “separation distance of at least 20 centimeters” from people and not be co-located or operating with another antenna or transmitter outside of the scope of the modification.

The Ericsson grant, below at right, covered its BS 6402 MIMO LTE base station, pictured above, in the 5,150-5,170 MHz and 5,170 to 5, 250 MHz bands at 0.119 watts output, for indoor operations only. A third set of frequencies, 5,735 to 5,845 MHz was approved at 0.112 watts output.

In addition to the tweet and the blog post, the grants were ballyhooed in a statement from FCC Chairman Ajit Pai:

“LTE-U allows wireless providers to deliver mobile data traffic using unlicensed spectrum while sharing the road, so to speak, with Wi-Fi,” he said. “…voluntary industry testing has demonstrated that both these devices and Wi-Fi operations can co-exist in the 5 GHz band. This heralds a technical breakthrough in the many shared uses of this spectrum.”

Also see...
Sept. 28, 2015
“LTE-Unlicensed Spectrum Group Forms”
‘Evolve’ is the name taken on by a newly formed coalition of wireless carrier groups advocating for development of unlicensed LTE technology, or LTE-U, also known as “LAA,” or “Licensed Assisted Access.”

STOCKHOLM—With new data-heavy technologies like virtual and augmented reality coming into the market, Ericsson has created a 5G network to better handle the move to these next-gen technologies. Ericsson’s 5G Core System combines the core, radio and transport portfolios with digital support systems, transformation services and security.

The 5G Core System is based on network slices, which allows operators to provide dedicated virtual networks with functionality specific to the service or customer over a common network. As a result, Ericsson has added to its 5G core system and applications, including federated network slices for 5G roaming; network slice management to automate the setup of service connections; 5G policy and user data for network slices; distributed cloud to facilitate short latency applications; and 5G transformation services for migration of the network and operation from legacy to 5G core.

Ericsson recently demonstrated a 5G trial network that was built with Deutsche Telekom and SK Telecom that featured network slices available in the other operator’s footprint.

Other technology that is being incorporated into the 5G platform includes Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and Software Defined Networking (SDN). These will be used for networking and programmability and automation to the networks. Meanwhile, Ericsson’s current portfolio of user data management, evolved packet core and IP multimedia subsystem is put in the cloud to support new user cases.

For radio and transport, Ericsson now features mid-band and high-band 5G New Radio (NR) radios. This creates radios available for all frequency ranges, allowing for 5G communications globally, per Ericsson. The 5G radio portfolio will support the new standardized 5G fronthaul interface, eCPRI.

To ensure transport, Ericsson has introduced optimized transport technology, like a Mini-Link that enables speeds of 10 Gbps and rail-mounted fronthaul and router products. LTE networks and 1 Gbps LTE solutions will also be available for delivering 5G on the road.

Ericsson sees 5G technology as a key area of growth in the coming years, predicting that by 2026 there will be a $582 billion global market utilizing 5G technology for industry digitalization.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson is partnering with Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service once again, as it has signed an exclusive media delivery services contract with the public service broadcaster.

This new contract will have Ericsson aggregate, prepare and deliver content from multiple international content owners and distributors from its broadcast and media services hub in London. The media assets will then be delivered directly to SBS’ headquarters in Sydney in a transmission-ready format. Ericsson will also provide Quality Control and deliver full technical metadata that adheres to SBS’ technical and editorial specifications.

 Ericsson previously signed a contract with SBS to provide its captioning services.

BOTHELL, WASH.—The Alliance of IP Media Solutions has landed four more companies to become part of its organization that is dedicated to the promotion of an IP industry standard. Calrec Audio, Ericsson, Rohde & Schwarz, and Xilinx Inc. now join the group that features more than 50 companies.

These new members will follow the AIMS bylaws, which provide specific guidance to members and to the media industry via its AIMS Roadmaps. The organization officially endorses an IP transition that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67, VSF recommendations TR-03 and TR-04, and AMWA NMOS IS-04.

For more information on AIMS and a full list of its members, visit www.aimsalliance.org.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson is taking measures that it says is in line with its “ongoing cost and efficiency program,” reducing a total of 3,000 positions across the company’s Sweden locations. The reduction is affecting three areas: 1,000 positions are being reduced in production; 800 in research and development; and 1,200 in group and support functions.

The proposed reductions are intended to be met by a combination of voluntary and forced reductions, according to Ericsson, as well as other potential alternatives like outsourcing. The reductions are expected at the following sites: Borås, Göteborg, Karlskrona, Kumla, Linköping and Stockholm. Ericsson says it also plans to make general cost reductions and take out external costs by general reductions in operating expenses and reducing the number of consultants by 900.

Jan Frykhammar, president and CEO of Ericsson, describes the reductions as “necessary to secure Ericsson’s long term competitiveness as well as technology and services leadership.”

The company also announced that it has plans recruit 1,000 engineers to its Sweden locations over the next three years, primarily from universities. Additional methods of reduction intended to be implemented by Ericsson include the consolidating of production to fewer global sites, and a reduction of cost in sales and administration in line with the new company structure that was introduced in July.

A majority of these moves are expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2017. The operations in Borås and Kumla are expected to conclude in the second quarter of 2017.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson and BT Media are teaming up for a pair of projects involving augmented reality and a HEVC 4K broadcast.

First, BT Sport is Ericsson’s first client for its PIERO Augmented Reality software system per its press release. The PIERO AR system launched in April and is designed to enable broadcasters to overlay 3D graphics in real-time during live studio productions and games. The graphics can be created by either a system operator or presenter using a tablet device. The graphics are then projected onto the studio floor in 3D. BT Sport has also signed up to use PIERO sports graphics software, another part of the PIERO product suite, for rugby broadcasts.

Also, Ericsson, with BT Media and BT Sports is demonstrating a live example of a high efficiency video coding (HEVC) contribution link used in the delivery of 4K UHDTV during IBC2016. BT Sport will use the technology to broadcast live rugby matches through BT news link trucks. Ericsson is contributing its encoding/decoding technology that supports HEVC and removes the need for AVC quadrant based HDTV contribution. The signal from BT M&B will be sent to Ericsson’s Playout Center in the Netherlands, and then broadcast live to both Ericsson and BT’s booths at IBC2016.

STOCKHOLM—U.K. viewers are expected to be getting one of their first experiences with a virtualized live broadcast, courtesy of Ericsson and UKTV. The two companies announced the news of incorporating Ericsson’s Virtualized Live Playout service with UKTV broadcasts during IBC 2016.

Virtualized Live Playout is a software based, fully managed service that operates on a virtualized cloud environment. A commercial and operational model enables broadcasters and content owners the ability to rent playout or channel capacity on a daily/pay-as-you-go basis. The Ericsson system carries live content and support graphics and ad insertion, and is designed to be operated by traditional linear services standards. The service can be used for “pop up” or temporary live channels, or as a disaster recovery service.

UKTV will use the Virtualized Live Playout service to launch and broadcast live events on its network of channels.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson is joining forces with Google in an effort to expand the offerings of Pay TV. As part of the two companies’ alliance Ericsson’s cloud-based MediaFirst TV platform will integrate with Google’s Android TV to provide a new pathway to extend its set-top box options.

MediaFirst TV operators will now have access to the Android TV ecosystem, allowing them to offer services that include 4K-UHD Live TV channels, video-on-demand, catch-up TV and cloud DVR to a larger subscriber base. Ericsson will also be able to deliver pre-integrated set-top box solutions that support hybrid configurations for satellite, cable, terrestrial, and fixed and mobile broadband TV.

“Our partnership with Google will empower operators of all sizes and resources to take control and leverage multiple monetization and partnership opportunities offered by Android TV, enabling them to deliver experiences to their audiences that fully integrate their Pay TV services with Android TV applications and OTT services,” said Shiva Patibanda, head of Business Line TV Platforms at Ericsson.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson has signed a multi-year contract to provide the online video platform for T-Mobile Netherlands’ new OTT service, KNIPPR. As part of the deal, Ericsson will provide an end-to-end online video service, which includes content management and preparation, digital rights management and content delivery networks.

KNIPPR launched in August, with Ericsson delivering linear TV channels both live and on-demand. The OTT service is compatible with Chromecast and Apple TV and is available as a video player through a web browser or as an app on a tablet or smartphone.

The delivery service for KNIPPR is powered by Ericsson Managed Player, a scalable, adaptive bitrate-based technology for OTT video delivery to cross-platform connected devices. The live channels will be served remotely from Ericsson’s broadcast and media services hub in Hilversum, Netherlands.

In addition, Ericsson will provide metadata services to enrich the EPG of KNIPPR with the goal of enhancing the user experience. 

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson’s PIERO real-time sports graphics software is heading to the big leagues, as Ericsson has signed a multi-year contract with MLB Network to provide its graphics service.

PIERO is a sports graphics software that is integrated with major sports data providers to enable data visualization. A range of graphical effects can be added to videos, including markers, counters, heat maps, formations and 3D flyarounds for either live productions or highlight shows. PIERO Augmented Reality is the latest addition to the PIERO product suite and allows broadcasters to go beyond 2D graphics.

MLB Network will utilize the PIERO system across all of its programming as the MLB season heads into the home stretch.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson and UKTV have reaffirmed their relationship, as the companies announced a multi-year extension for Ericsson to provide its playout, video on-demand, and access services to the U.K. broadcaster. The services will be offered to UKTV’s 10 channels and on-demand services.

Part of the new extension will see Ericsson migrate UKTV’s VOD preparation services to Ericsson’s end-to-end package and deliver managed service, powered by the company’s cloud media processing service platform. The service platform uses cloud-based tools to deliver non-linear contribution, archiving and media processing.

In addition, Ericsson has announced it has extended its access services contract with UKTV, which includes subtitling and audio description services across UKTV content.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson continues to expand its services down under, announcing that it has closed a multi-year contract with the Commonwealth of Australia to provide live captioning services for the Australian Parliament. Ericsson will provide captioning services for all sitting hours within the Senate, House of Representatives, Federation Chamber and Parliamentary Committee hearings recorded as video.

In the last year Ericsson has set up a number of contracts in Australia to provide captioning services, including a multi-year deal with Australian public service broadcasters ABC and SBS in March, and Australian news service provider ANC in November 2015. The company also reached a deal with the New Zealand Parliament in June.

The service is scheduled to go live in August and will be available through the Australian Parliament’s online service.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson has been tapped to assist the New Zealand Parliament, signing an exclusive, multi-year access services contract with the Office of the Clerk of the House of Representatives to remotely deliver live captioning services for Parliament TV. The new captioning service will be available starting in August.

According to David Wilson, clerk of the House of Representatives, one in nine New Zealanders uses captions when watching TV. “As a result, live captioning will enable more people in our communities to be informed about and involved in the work of their Parliament,” Wilson said.

Ericsson reports that this is the first instance that it will provide its captioning services to New Zealand. Throughout the last year, the company has signed multiple deals with stations in New Zealand’s neighbor Australia for captioning services.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson and BBC R&D recently collaborated on new technology that is designed to address the latency of live captioning for television. What the two companies came up with reportedly minimizes live caption delays with the audio they match up with by utilizing the time needed to compress audio and video streams for transmission and distribution.

With captions taking less time to encode, the new technology uses a compensating delay to ensure pre-prepared captions that are synchronized with the audio. The compensating delay can be decreased during live broadcasts to further reduce any delay.

The platform is able to support live captioning in a number of languages, according to Ericsson, by using speech-to-text, newsroom integration and rapid offline content preparation.

BBC plans to roll out the new technology across its channels over the summer. Ericsson also plans to offer the service to additional clients around the world.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson has released its bi-annual Mobility Report and it highlights the change in video consumption as a result of smart devices, most notably in teens. The report forecasts that the annual rate of growth of mobile video traffic is expected to be around 55 percent through 2021, when it is expected to make up about 70 percent of all mobile data traffic.

Ericsson’s report states, that since 2011, younger generations have helped lead an increase in streamed video viewing. From 2011-2015, the report says that there has been an 85 percent increase of teens watching TV/video content on smartphones, while a nearly 50 percent decrease in time watching traditional TV. Teens watching on mobile screens also tend to do so more at all parts of the day. Teen’s usage of cellular data for smartphones grew a reported 127 percent from July 2014-October 2015. And while the 30-35 age group had a greater increase over that same time period, overall video consumption was a fifth of the teen’s.

“While TV and video viewership is changing for everyone, it’s telling that today’s teens are driving this evolving behavior from traditional TV viewing to streaming video on their smartphones,” said Elisabetta Romano, vice president and head of TV and Media at Ericsson.

It’s not just with smartphones, as the report points out, video is the largest contributor to traffic volumes for mobile PC (41 percent), smartphones (43 percent), and tablets (55 percent). YouTube is still the most popular source of video traffic for mobile networks, accounting between 50 and 70 percent of total video traffic regardless of terminal type. The growth of mobile video traffic has also been boosted by the embedding of videos on social media and web pages.

Ericsson concludes with its report on mobile video traffic that mobility is no longer an optional extra for viewers.

To see Ericsson’s full mobility report, click here.

STOCKHOLM—South Korean satellite pay TV provider KT SkyLife has chosen Ericsson to help expand its UHDTV service. Using Ericsson’s HEVC encoders, KT SkyLife will launch its fifth UHD channel.

Ericsson’s encoders support video compression and pre-processing improvements in MPEG-2, AVC and HEVC, with advanced compression capabilities for video quality optimization. KT SkyLife says that it chose Ericsson to ensure better video quality for its customers while utilizing less bandwidth.

KT SkyLife has previously used Ericsson’s AVP 4000 system encoders and MX8400 Multiplexers.

Simon Frost, Global Head of Media Marketing and Communications at Ericsson, outlines the increasing disruption to the TV and Media industry caused by growing expectations from today’s consumers. He describes Ericsson’s NAB announcements, including the launches of Ericsson MediaFirst Video Processing, its new Global Content Discovery Service and its Piero Augmented Reality software to enable more immersive sports graphics, as well as explaining how Ericsson is succeeding in enabling its customers to delight the TV consumer everyday.

LAS VEGAS—Ericsson has announced the debut of its new media processing system, the Ericsson MediaFirst Video Processing unit. Combining a suite of processing capabilities and video compression research, as well as the ability to compliment the MediaFirst TV Platform, the MediaFirst Video Processing system provides a “cloud-centric” TV experience, according to the company’s press release.

There are three main elements to Ericsson’s new system: software-defined management and workflow is used to manage video processing configurations and architectures that cover multiple compute platforms; a suite of video coding algorithms and processing functions to build head-end functions to deliver video; and support for any compute environment to deploy MediaFirst Video Processing across private and public clouds and on Ericsson custom platforms.

Ericsson says that this is the first offering to come from the integration of its compression software with Envivio’s software-based encoding portfolios. Ericsson acquired Envivio in the fourth quarter of 2015.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson will be part of NBC Olympics’ production of the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the broadcaster announced. The Sweden-based company will provide video processing systems and advanced modular receivers to support NBC Olympics’ delivery of HD broadcasts. Ericsson will also have engineers providing support on site.

Ericsson reports that it has provided support to NBC Olympics, a division of NBC Sports Group, for the Olympics since the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, Italy.

The 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro will take place from Aug. 5-21.

STOCKHOLM—Ericsson signed a pair of contracts with Australian public service broadcasters ABC and SBS for multi-year captioning services.

The deal with ABC is a new contract to deliver live and file-based captioning across ABC’s television network, which includes ABC, ABC2, ABC3, and ABC News 24. The deal with SBS is an extension of the two companies’ partnership for an additional three years.

These deals are in addition to the contract that the company signed with ANC, Australia’s24-hour multi-channel, multi-platform news service, back in November.

STOCKHOLM—The fragmented TV market will have a compound annual growth rate of 10-12 per cent between 2014 and 2018, Ericsson has claimed.

The growth, which Ericsson say will be driven by internet technology, was predicted as part as the company’s 2015 Annual Report published yesterday.

Ericsson stated that IP technology, networks and the large number of video-enabled connected devices are behind the transformation of the television and media market, highlighting the delivery and consumption of TV content as the main culprit.

Ericsson CEO Hans Vestberg

“Video traffic in mobile networks is expected by Ericsson to grow by around 55 per cent annually through 2021, and by 2021 around 70 per cent of all mobile traffic is expected by Ericsson to be video,” claimed the report.

Ericsson added that it aims to be the “transformation partner of choice” for content owners, broadcasters and TV service providers as the TV and media industry undergoes the change.

It highlighted its “significant investments” in the TV and media space, including the recent acquisition of cloud DVR and video storage provider Fabrix Systems, and its October buyout of video processing firm Envivio.

This story first appeared on TVB Europe.