a major factor , says Mc Kiernan , elaborating : “ In the case of our Dejero EnGo transmitters , this bidirectional connection can be used to remotely manage the transmitters for functions such as fault finding and data rate monitoring .

“ A recent customer purchased a number of Dejero bonded cellular transmitters and , through a secure cloud service , was able to see a map view of where the transmitters are at any given moment , and thumbnail views of the picture that each camera crew is transmitting in real time . These are very desirable and powerful tools for ‘ fleet management ’ of multiple transmitters .”

For Ericsson , development into its LTE Broadcast technology continues to gain pace . During last year ’ s South-east Asian ( SEA ) Games held in Singapore , Ericsson partnered with telecom and pay- TV operator Singtel to conduct the first end-to-end LTE Broadcast trial in the republic to use a commercial network .

The Singtel Pavilion at the Singapore Sports Hub featured multiple mobile devices , which ran the Singtel TV GO app , displaying live broadcasts of events from the Games . The trial also presented drone videography of the SEA Games ’ men ’ s and women ’ s 500m 12-crew traditional boat race competition

. The aerial footage was uplinked through Singtel ’ s highspeed LTE network and streamed live to mobile devices using Ericsson ’ s LTE Broadcast technology , which combinedthe eMBMS , HEVC / H . 265 and MPEG-Dash standards to deliver a “ consistent and uninterrupted ” streaming service without buffering .

Reflecting on the trial , Daniel Molander , head of LTE Broadcast , Service Layer , Ericsson , says : “ Ericsson ’ s LTE Broadcast technology enhances existing LTE infrastructure using Single Frequency Network ( SFN ) technology to distribute the signal to an unlimited number of participants . This capability advances the market towards a TV Anywhere world , ensuring seamless broadcast delivery and an immersive TV experience in diverse use cases such as live sports , breaking news and over-the-top ( OTT ) content to mobile devices .

“ As demand increases , operators need to be using their infrastructure as efficiently as possible , which is why maximising bandwidth is a key priority for us .”

Ericsson also believes that mobile broadband is the only viable solution for many consumers in Asia . According to Per Ljungberg , director , system & technology management at Ericsson , popular TV shows with high viewing numbers

will continue to be broadcast , while video-on-demand ( VoD ) and niche linear TV content will be delivered via broadband unicast technology . “ In such hybrid solutions , the mobile and fixed broadband connections complement each other for at-home coverage , while mobile networks , including LTE Broadcast , will ensure coverage for smartphone users on-themove ,” he adds .

As on-demand , OTT content and interactive , personalised TV becomes ubiquitous , regular satellite and digital terrestrial solutions may not necessarily have the means to deliver the levels of high quality content , 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), for example , that consumers demand , nor accommodate features such as on-demand and time-shifted content , Ljungberg points out .

He reiterates the feasibility of hybrid deployments , where mobile broadband is combined with terrestrial and satellite TV . “ These will provide the opportunity to leverage investments already made on existing in-built installations . Leading set-top box ( STB ) vendors already support hybrid STBs including LTE modems . Advanced antenna technology , such as beamforming , will also be used to support TV Anywhere services , at an attractive cost for consumers .”

In collaboration with Dejero , Ideal-Live uses Dejero ’ s new Live + EnGo bonded cellular transmitters with pre-installed cellular SIM cards from multiple localised mobile operators for immediate live broadcast . Ideal-Live , an equipment rental service for professional mobile video gathering , was recently launched by systems integrator Ideal Systems .

At present , IP is already at the heart of cellular bonding technology , with the development and deployment of IP-based infrastructures on the production and playout side on the rise , notes LiveU ’ s Artman .

However , he cautions : “ Deploying IP-based technologies will not happen overnight as there remains much work to be done . We will see the development of a hybrid world , at least in the medium term . There are a few vendors out there who appear to have been pursuing a more independent path to IP deployment , but standardisation is critical in order to create a true market . Only via the establishment of that market will the true benefits [ of IP ] be revealed .”

And interoperability is key for the Ideal-Live service , where the Dejero EnGo transmitter can bond up to eight connections , including 3G / 4G / LTE /, Wi-Fi , Ethernet and portable satellite . While its main

use resides in bonded cellular mode , a private Wi-Fi network can be set up , or a direct Ethernet connection to the Internet can be utilised when cellular coverage is insufficient . Mc Kiernan adds : “ Ultimately , the bonded connection provides broadcast-quality video over IP , irrespective of whether it ’ s over cellular or ISP or even satellite networks — it ’ s all IP .”

He also says that it is worth keeping in mind that typically bonded cellular solutions operate over contested bandwidth , thus high value sports events or critical news events will still necessitate the guarantee offered by satellite . “ Satellite services , however , can be relatively and cost-effectively augmented with the use of bonded cellular technology . Both technologies have their value and their place , and it will be dependent on specific use cases to dictate the choice or blend of video acquisition technology in the field ,” Mc Kiernan concludes .