5G Audiovisual Broadcast Broadband Network

Innovation on stage

In July 2022, Rai Way was awarded the “5G AUDIOVISIVO 2022” grant within the “5G Audiovisivo 2022 Broadcast Broadband Network” project, promoted by the Ministry of Economic Development (now MIMIT), securing €1 million in funding.

Rai Way led the initiative, coordinating 11 partners including institutions, technology companies, and universities such as: Rai (through its Research, Technological Innovation and Experimentation Department and Turin TV Production Center), City of Turin, Rohde & Schwarz, OpNet, Politecnico di Milano, MainStreaming, Impersive, Kinecar, RETESETTE, La Sicilia Multimedia, and Teatro Massimo di Palermo.

The project

The initiative explored the use of 5G networks for the production and distribution of audiovisual content.

On the production side, innovative use cases were developed, including: live multi-stage concerts featuring musicians in different locations; VR360 immersive filming of cultural events; and creation of virtual content within the Metaverse.

On the distribution side, live content was transmitted in Palermo and Turin using 5G Broadcast and Broadband architectures, with playback on mobile devices in indoor, outdoor, and automotive environments. Broadcasting was carried out on the 700 MHz frequencies granted by MIMIT for the trials.

Another key outcome was the development of a prototype receiver, based on open-source software shared within the 5G-MAG group, enabling 5G Broadcast reception and seamless cooperation between Broadcast and Broadband, for instance through automatic switching between the two channels.

The project was successfully completed, achieving all planned objectives.

Highlights included live VR360 filming at Teatro Massimo in Palermo and the “5G Jazz Jam Session” distributed TV production event at the Turin Jazz Festival 2023.

The Future of Audiovisual Distribution

Within the “5G Audiovisivo 2022 Broadcast Broadband Network” project, Rai Way tested 5G Broadcast technology — a one-to-all transmission model that ensures a fixed and predictable quality of experience, independent of the number of users connected.

Among its key features: SIM-agnostic reception, operating on dedicated infrastructures and frequencies, independent from those used by mobile operators.

5G Broadcast thus acts as a bridge between traditional mobile 5G networks and the broadcasting world, demonstrating its feasibility even on licensed frequencies.

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Project Highlights

Enhanced Live Production

5G takes television workflows to new levels of latency and capacity, unlocking new artistic possibilities

Hybrid distribution

Content is delivered across both 5G Broadcast and 5G Broadband networks, enabling seamless viewing in indoor, outdoor, and automotive environments

Smart integration

Programmable receivers, developed from the 5G-MAG (5G Media Action Group) open-source code, enable cooperation between Broadcast and unicast networks

The use cases of experimentation

Live Automotive Events

The trials demonstrated the feasibility of receiving 5G Broadcast and Broadband signals in real time, even on mobile devices inside vehicles, with direct integration into automotive infotainment systems.

VR360 Live Theatre in Palermo

The “Live Theater VR360” event brought audiences inside the Teatro Massimo of Palermo through a fully immersive virtual reality experience. The live ballet performance was interwoven with pre-recorded segments filmed inside the theatre and at historical sites across the city, building a captivating narrative. The performance was broadcast over 5G Broadcast in the Palermo area and experienced through VR headsets at the Teatro Massimo and Convitto Nazionale Giovanni Falcone.

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Television Production 5G Jazz Jam Session 2023

At the Officine Grandi Riparazioni in Turin, the experiment involved the Gianpaolo Petrini Big Band performing simultaneously across three different stages. The synchronised audiovisual feeds were transmitted to a remote control room, where they were combined into a live broadcast, distributed via 5G Broadcast across the Turin area. The use case also introduced innovative elements, such as live experiences in the Metaverse and VR Art performances using VR360 headsets.

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Live Museum VR360

The “Live Museum VR360” project offered an immersive journey through the Galleria d’Arte Moderna (GAM) in Turin, guided by renowned narrators. The live footage, combined with pre-recorded scenes filmed inside the GAM and at other historic locations, created a first-person storytelling experience. Using Impersive’s technology, audiences experienced a moving virtual reality performance (360-3D-POV).

Technological innovations

The project’s most innovative aspects span both production and distribution.

Production

Immersive virtual reality (VR360) filming;
Distributed / multi-stage TV production with remote direction;
Creative techniques such as VR Art (Tilt Brush);
Virtual environments in the Metaverse for both content creation and live interaction

Contribution and distribution

Private 5G networks for synchronous signal collection and dedicated broadband distribution;
5G Broadcast transmission of live content for VR360 headsets;
5G-MAG receiver for 5G Broadcast service reception;
MainStreaming CDN architecture for public broadband distribution, featuring deep edge caching in ISP Data Centers in Palermo and Turin;
Local Edge CDN (MainStreaming) for distribution within the area covered by the Private 5G Network, offering dedicated access to on-site users through a 5G Broadband channel additional to the 5G Broadcast;
5G Broadcast services tested in automotive scenarios, with a 5G-MAG receiver integrated into Kinecar, enabling urban mobile reception and integration with vehicle infotainment systems — including interactive features and automatic/manual switching between Broadcast and Broadband channels