Network 2020 The Broadcasting Opportunity
Network 2020 The Broadcasting Opportunity
Network 2020 The Broadcasting Opportunity
The 4G Broadcasting
Opportunity
About the GSMA Network 2020
The GSMA represents the interests of mobile operators The GSMA’s Network 2020 Programme is designed to help
worldwide, uniting nearly 800 operators with almost 300 operators and the wider mobile industry to deliver all-IP
companies in the broader mobile ecosystem, including handset networks so that everyone benefits regardless of where their
and device makers, software companies, equipment providers starting point might be on the journey.
and internet companies, as well as organisations in adjacent
industry sectors. The GSMA also produces industry-leading The programme has three key work-streams focused on: The
events such as Mobile World Congress, Mobile World Congress development and deployment of IP services, The evolution of the
Shanghai, Mobile World Congress Americas and the Mobile 360 4G networks in widespread use today The 5G Journey, developing
Series of conferences. the next generation of mobile technologies and service.
For more information, please visit the GSMA corporate website For more information, please visit the Network 2020 website
at www.gsma.com. Follow the GSMA on Twitter: @GSMA. at: www.gsma.com/network2020 Follow the Network 2020
on Twitter: #Network2020.
Contents
1 Introduction 3 4 Services using broadcasting 19
capabilities
1.1 Overview 4 4.1 Overview 20
1.2 Definitions 4 4.2 Localised live broadcast 20
1.3 Abbreviations 4 4.3 Live TV streaming 21
1.4 References 5 4.4 Audio Streaming 21
4.5 Software update 21
2 Business value of LTE-Broadcast 7
4.6 Content pre-positioning 22
2.1 Considerations 8
4.7 Broadcasting for automotive industry 22
2.2 Cost savings 8
4.7.1 Introduction 22
2.3 New revenues 10
4.8 Location specific broadcasting 24
2.4 New spectrum: Supplemental Downlink 10
4.9 Non-critical notifications 24
in 470-694 MHz
3 Technology status 11
3.1 Infrastructure 12
3.1.1 MBSFN hierarchical structure 12
3.1.2 Single Cell Point to Multipoint 13
3.1.3 eMBMS architecture 13
3.1.4 Advanced capabilities of eMBMS 14
3.1.5 3GPP Enhancements for TV Service 15
3.2 Broadcasting API 16
3.2.1 Session Management 17
3.3 Devices 17
3.3.1 Device middleware 18
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1
Introduction
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1.4 References
Ref Title
[1] “Key words for use in RFCs to Indicate
Requirement Levels”, S. Bradner, March 1997.
Available at http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc2119.txt
[2] Cisco Visual Networking Index: Global Mobile
Data Traffic Forecast Update, 2015–2020
[3] “The Economic Benefit of Broadcast Offload
in Mobile Data Delivery”, a study from Rise
Conseil & TDF
[4] “Evaluating the LTE Broadcast Opportunity”.
Available at http://gsacom.com/download.
php?id=1972
[5] “Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service
(MBMS); Extensions and profiling”
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2
Business value of
LTE-Broadcast
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Video has experienced an explosive growth in the Although the LTE access network can support many
past few years, Cisco estimates that in 2015 mobile simultaneous high data rate streams in each cell,
video traffic accounted for 55 percent of total mobile delivering highly popular content using unicast (point
data traffic and it is expected to be 75% of the to point) transmission is not very efficient and an
overall mobile data traffic by year 2020 [3]. A large opportunity exists to optimise the use of the network
proportion of this traffic is consumed (not necessarily by deploying eMBMS.
simultaneously) by a large number of subscribers:
this popular content is sometimes referred to as head Given that a single transmission of content via eMBMS
content in contrast with the content long tail indicating can be received by all the users in a given broadcast
the more numerous but less popular content1 (see area, three beneficial effects occur:
Figure 2). Examples of head content include live • Radio resources for delivering head content
TV, time-shifted TV, on demand video and YouTube are used more effectively since a single eMBMS
videos. Software updates, especially operating system transmission can replace a multitude of unicast
updates can also be categorised as head content. transmission. In fact it can be demonstrated that
the efficiency gain takes effect even when a small
number of unicast transmissions are replaced
1
See for example https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Long_tail
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2
http://rspg-spectrum.eu/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/RSPG15-595_final-RSPG_opinion_UHF.pdf
3
See Digital Europe white paper on supplemental downlink in the UHF band:
http://www.digitaleurope.org/DesktopModules/Bring2mind/DMX/Download.aspx?EntryId=893
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3
Technology
status
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3.1.2 Single Cell Point to Multipoint MCE. When operating using MBSFN, the MCE serves
3GPP Release 13 introduced a new mechanism for one or more eNodeBs and performs:
delivery of eMBMS in order to improve the efficiency • The admission control and the allocation of the
of use of radio resources and flexible deployment of radio resources used by all eNodeBs in the MBSFN
numerous applications: Single Cell Point to Multipoint area for multi-cell MBMS
(SP-PTM). SC-PTM make use of the eMBMS system
• Counting and acquisition of counting results for
architecture used for MBSFN, but follows a different
MBMS service(s)
approach in the allocation of radio resources aimed at
improving the radio efficiency as well as to reducing • Resumption/suspension of MBMS session(s) within
the latency. The granularity of the broadcast/multicast MBSFN area(s) based on e.g. ARP (Allocation and
services is down to a single cell so that the broadcast/ Retention Priority) and/or the counting results for
multicast area can be dynamically adjusted cell by the corresponding MBMS service(s).
cell according to the distribution of users. The SC- MBMS-GW. The MBMS-GW sends/broadcasts MBMS
PTM transmission is carried over LTE downlink shared packets to each eNodeB transmitting the service. It
channel scheduled using a common Radio Network uses IP Multicast as the means of forwarding MBMS
Temporary Identity (RNTI) for a group of users making user data to the eNodeBs.
it agile in utilising the radio resources dynamically in
time and frequency. BM-SC. The BM-SC provides functions for eMBMS
user service provisioning and delivery of eMBMS
3.1.3 eMBMS architecture transmissions. It may also serve as an entry point
The hierarchical structure of eMBMS service is enabled into PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network) for content
by the architecture of eMBMS as shown in Figure 4. It provider’s broadcast content eMBMS transmissions.
is worthwhile noting that eMBMS re-uses the Evolve In short, BM-SC is the gateway that interacts with the
Packet Core (EPC) introducing only a few additional contents provider and controls the service overall, the
entities to function: MCE (Multi-cell/multicast MBMS-GW provides the gateway function between
Coordination Entity), MBMS-GW (MBMS Gateway) and the radio and service networks and separates the
BM-SC (Broadcast Multicast Service Centre). The role service layer functions from the core network while
of these functions is briefly discussed below. the MCE works with eNodeB in radio-related tasks
necessary for MBMS service.
MBMS Content
eNB BM-SC
GW Provider
UE
In charge of distributing
BSF HSS
the traffic to eNBs and
coordinating MBMS session
control signalling
Existing LTE elements eMBMS elements External element Media traffic Signalling
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With the eMBMS specific entities implemented in the 3.1.4 Advanced capabilities of eMBMS
network, the network provides broadcast/multicast In addition to the functionalities described in the
service to eMBMS-enabled UEs. In both cases, the previous sections, eMBMS provides advanced
service is announced by the network where interested capabilities such as mobility based Service Continuity
UEs join the announced service for multicast and UEs (Unicast fallback and Switching for DASH-over-MBMS
with local service activation are listening to the service 3GPP 26.346 release 12) and Release 12 MooD (MBMS
for broadcast. The actual data transfer can start when operation on Demand). MooD enables dynamic
MBMS session starts and the subscribed/activated UEs switching between Unicast and Broadcast over LTE,
receive data anytime during the session. The above based on configured triggers. The trigger may be
procedures are visualised in the following figure. demand driven (i.e. through user service consumption
or when there is an urgent alert to be broadcasted)
or pre-scheduled based on events. MooD leverages
Figure 5: eMBMS high-level call flow the Service Continuity procedures mentioned above
to achieve seamless transition unicast-broadcast and
vice versa.
UE Network eMBMS uses DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming
over HTTP), a media format that slices live streams
1. UE subscribers to service (can be done any time) into a sequence of media segments which are then
delivered over FLUTE as HTTP independent files. This
2. Networks starts announcement of the service
technology is standardized in MPEG and in 3GPP and
3. UE joins the service (can be done any time) therefore is widely accepted in the industry. This makes
NOTE 1 it attractive since players are natively supporting both
4. Networks starts the first session unicast and broadcast media delivery, whilst at the
same time CDNs are required to only serve a single
5. Network transfers data for session #1 media format thus reducing operating costs and
Session #1
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3.1.5 3GPP Enhancements for TV Service as “TV transport services”, to support distribution of
In March 2016, 3GPP issued a technical report on TV programs. TV transport services can support the
3GPP enhancements for TV service (TR 22.816). three types of TV services – Free-to-air (FTA), Free-
This technical report describes use cases, proposes to-view (FTV), and Subscribed services. Each type
assumptions and potential requirements and analyses of TV service has different requirements in order to
the gap in order to enhance 3GPP system for TV meet regulatory obligations and public service and
service support. The supported TV service includes commercial broadcaster’s requirements regarding
linear TV, Live, Video on Demand, smart TV, and Over content distribution, hence many requirements are
the Top (OTT) content. optional to implement depending on the type of TV
transport services a MNO chooses to offer.
3GPP is now engaged in Technical Specifications for
Release 14 (TS 22.101), including 3GPP enhancement This work now impacts several 3GPP workgroups as
for TV service support, whereby 3GPP networks can summarized in the following figure:
provide unicast and broadcast transport, referred to
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Content
Source
Unicast
Content via
Unicast
Unicast Delivery
The xMB reference point provides the ability for the The xMB reference point provides the ability for the
content provider to: BM-SC to:
• authenticate and authorize BM-SC(s). • authenticate and authorize a content provider.
• create, modify and terminate a service. • notify the content provider of the status of an MBMS
• create, modify and terminate a session. user service usage.
• query information. • retrieve content from the content provider
• deliver content to the BM-SC(s)
The xMB reference point also includes a security
function for confidentiality protection for both control
plane and user plane.
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3.2.1 Session Management State description of the BM-SC for a session. The
The API enables session management procedures BM-SC may reject state transitions when mandatory
to allow the content provider to create, modify and parameters are missing. The BM-SC may send error
terminate sessions. Each session is “time bound” (i.e. notifications to the content provider.
has a start and stop time) and is associated with a • Session Idle: The Session is under preparation.
target broadcast area (which can be used to derive the Typically, the content provider needs multiple
MBMS Service Area). The stop time may be absent in session updates in order to configure all session
the case of 24/7 sessions. parameters and retrieve the needed information for
content provider user-plane entities
The MBMS Bearer is active between the start and
stop time of the session independently of whether • Session Announced: The session parameters are
the content provider is sending data. The BM-SC announced and MBMS Client may become aware
automatically terminates the MBMS bearer at stop that the session is about to start
time. The content provider may proactively terminate • Session Active: The session is active according to
the session before the stop time. the Session Schedule.
3.3 Devices
In December 2016, approximately 20 commercially available devices support eMBMS
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4
Services using
broadcasting
capabilities
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Broadcast
Area
High density
+ National alert Live TV
Medium density
Network Software Content
update News
wide Pre-positioning Low density
Digital signage
Traffic information
Earthquake
Region Regional
broadcast
Flood alert
Airport
announcements
Tourist info
Cells
Traffic accident Sport event Concert
–
Rare Recurrent Permanent
Event
– + Frequency
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Depending on the capability of the device, it may also be 4.5 Software update
possible to provide the user with a multiscreen experience. Scheduled software updates refers to updates of
software/firmware that are scheduled rather than
On Air icon source: securitycast.net downloaded at the time of request. This allows
operators, for example, to perform non-time critical
Figure 11: Live TV streaming broadcasting (e.g. distribution of a software update)
during off-peak times when more resources can be
allocated to eMBMS without negatively affecting
Live streaming
unicast traffic.
Smartphone UE One crucial point on LTE-B software update is that it
has to align with the typical software update workflow.
In the Android or iOS application update scenarios,
Tablet UE the LTE-B software update has to work with Google
Network
Playstore and Apple Appstore workflow, having the
apps authenticated and the app update initiated by
Monitor UE the end-user.
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Smartphone UE
Scheduled Peak Time
Time No broadcasting UE
Update for
of target contents
User Devices
Smartphone UE Network
UE
Target media
contents broadcasted
Off-Peak
Network loT UE
Time
UE
Update for
loT Devices
loT UE
Network UE
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Deterministic
Content Source Delivery Content Network
Live streaming Predictive Adaptive Management Delivery
Bitrate Streaming Consumption Linear Streaming LTE-Broadcast
LTE-B Enables
Wi-Fi Hotspot
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ITS Server
Uplink Downlink
broadcast
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Find out more at
www.gsma.com/network2020