5G-Xcast

Published: 1 January 2017

Developing an architecture that allows seamless reception of content on different devices as users move between different environments and available networks.

Project from 2017 - 2019

5G-Xcast is a two-year Horizon 2020 collaborative project focussing on the role of broadcast/multicast in 5G. Its focus is on two specific ‘verticals’, namely Media & Entertainment and Public Warning. We were successful in securing funding from the Horizon 2020/5G-PPP programme and are one of 18 different partners from across 9 different countries in the consortium.

The project aims to develop an architecture that allows seamless reception of content on different devices as users move between different environments and available networks. It will achieve this through the design of new radio access, transport and application layers that build on the emerging 5G specifications targeting traditional unicast delivery. The definition of interfaces that try to harmonise the delivery of broadcast and unicast content will also be key to this.

The project is divided into different work packages that address different aspects including radio access network, core network, architecture as well as demonstrators. There is also a work package on use cases, which we’re leading, that aims to define not only the applications for broadcast/multicast within the project but also the high level requirements. At the same time, a number of test beds are being developed to host experiments and allow us to demonstrate the concepts developed within the project and allow us to showcase the advances made within the project.

A video from the 5G-Xcast collaborative project featuring BBC R&D's Andrew Murphy.

So far our focus within the project has been on developing the use cases and defining a benchmark for the radio performance of the system based on 4G broadcast. This has included lab measurements using our 4G lab setup.