Recently, China Mobile, in collaboration with China Broadnet, ZTE, and UNISOC, successfully completed the world's first field trial verification of 5G MBS broadcast technology based on the 3GPP standard protocol in Beijing. Through 5G MBS broadcast, terminals can play two CCTV television channels with smooth and clear video, laying a foundation for the commercial use of 5G MBS broadcast.
5G MBS broadcast technology is based on the separation of control and user plane in SA network and a service-oriented basic architecture. By introducing new network element functions or enhancing existing 5G network element functions, the control plane realizes MBS process control based on the unicast mechanism, and the data plane achieves data transmission through shared tunnels, thereby enabling MBS service capabilities.
In this trial verification, China Mobile used the existing 700MHz base station and the dedicated 5G MBS broadcast core network to form a joint network, employing terminals equipped with chips that support 5G MBS broadcast services. The end-to-end industry chain verified the 5G MBS broadcast capability, including basic broadcast services, cardless broadcast reception, broadcast service mobility, and broadcast service coverage capability. Terminals were able to receive the list of TV channels broadcasted by the network and quickly switch between channels, with smooth video and clear audio quality.
5G MBS broadcast can be used not only for watching live sports events and other television programs on 5G phones but also in scenarios such as in-vehicle IoT, XR video games, and group communication. This technology holds significant value for mobile traffic offloading in popular venues, emergency communication in disaster areas, and more interactive video content applications. Consequently, it has garnered significant attention and continuous research investment from operators and the industry chain.
It can be said that the resonance of market demand and industry-driven efforts has propelled 5G MBS broadcast technology forward by a significant step. This trial verification signifies that the commercial use of 5G MBS broadcast is approaching ever closer.