Korean Telecom giant KT will be reportedly rolling out its 5G UHD live broadcasting service in South Korea, the telco announced. As per trusted sources, the telco will be offering an enterprise 5G network and 5G mobile news gathering (MNG) equipment to the news broadcasting firm Seoul Broadcasting System for the live broadcast of its Morning Wide news program. For the uninitiated, MNG technology enables broadcasting cameras to transfer video files through wireless networks.
Presently, broadcasters utilize MNG equipment that requires 5 to 11 units of LTE MNG equipment fixed to the cameras and many Universal Subscriber Identity Modules, although it cannot be reached by outdoor broadcasting vans in some areas. Consequently, videos filmed on-location is often split and can only be transferred via LTE networks that are accessible to headquarters, which occasionally result in delays during live broadcasts, stated KT.
Meanwhile, the company’s 5G MNG equipment only needs one unit and one USIM and uses its 5G enterprise network to enable seamless broadcasting of UHD quality videos, the telco said in a statement.
KT accomplished technical verification for the 5G UHD video transfer technology on January 23 and on March 6 finished testing for its 5G enterprise services of UHD live broadcasting.
Moreover, the telco recently inked cooperation agreements with LiveU Ltd and TVU Networks Corporation for its 5G video transmissions, cited sources familiar with the development.
A report stated that in January KT delivered the live footage of K-pop band Wanna One’s farewell concert through its 5G network and UHD 4K video cameras, from a stadium in Seoul to its cable and mobile TV channels.
Some 5G enterprise facilities have already been installed since testing began in December, but 5G rollout for consumers in South Korea, which was officially set for a launch in March has faced delays, claimed sources.