MTS has conducted Russia’s first LTE broadcast trial using software and equipment supplied by Ericsson and Qualcomm.
The trial took place at the telco’s office in Nizhny Novgorod, with video distributed from Aachen, Germany using Ericsson’s end-to-end LTE broadcast solution. Multiple video feeds were broadcast to devices equipped with Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 810 processor, which features its X10 LTE modem.
"The delivery of broadcast entertainment is set to enter a new era in Russia and MTS intends to lead this process through our enhanced LTE broadcast technology," said Andrei Ushatskiy, vice president of technology and IT at MTS, in a statement on Friday. "Consumers want to be able to watch premium, high-quality content, such as live sporting events, when and where they wish, and MTS will provide the best mobile solution to this need."
According to Ericsson’s ConsumerLab, 50% of Russian consumers already watch TV and video on their smartphones, and 37% are prepared to pay for high-definition video.
"With video traffic expected to grow by about 60% annu ally until the end of 2020, operators are under increasing pressure to enable their subscribers to enjoy a high-quality video experience anytime, anywhere, while still managing network efficiency and costs," said Jeff Travers, head of MTS for Ericsson.
"LTE broadcast is gaining momentum as a perfect method for optimising LTE spectrum and network resources, offering new revenue models for content delivery," he said, adding that MTS’s trial is "an important milestone."
