5G-MEDIA · Project

5G Platform That Lets Media Companies Stream VR and Ultra-HD Content Without Building Infrastructure

digitalPilotedTRL 7

Imagine you run a TV station and want to broadcast a live concert in virtual reality or ultra-high-definition — but the tech setup costs a fortune and takes months. This project built a kind of "plug-and-play" cloud platform where media companies can just upload their content and the system automatically handles all the heavy network lifting over 5G. Think of it like Uber for media streaming infrastructure: instead of owning the trucks, you just book a ride. They tested it with real broadcasters, telecom operators, and VR producers across 3 large-scale pilots in Europe.

By the numbers

large-scale pilot use cases validated

consortium partners

countries represented

total deliverables produced

industry partners in consortium

SMEs in consortium

67%

industry participation ratio

The business problem

What needed solving

Media companies face massive infrastructure costs and complexity when trying to deliver immersive VR, ultra-high-definition, or remote live production content. Building your own 5G-ready streaming infrastructure requires deep network expertise and capital investment that most broadcasters and content producers cannot justify. There is no easy way to plug media applications into advanced 5G network capabilities without becoming a telecom expert yourself.

The solution

What was built

The project built a complete edge-to-cloud platform with an SDK for developing and deploying media applications over 5G, plus an Operations and Configuration Platform with serverless computing and QoS management tools. It was validated through 3 pilots: an Immersive Media/VR pilot, a Mobile Contribution and Smart Production pilot, and a UHD over Open CDNs pilot — all producing final software prototypes with API documentation and user guides.

Audience

Who needs this

National and regional TV broadcasters looking to cut remote production costsVR/immersive content studios needing low-latency delivery infrastructureTelecom operators wanting to offer media-specific 5G servicesCDN providers expanding into ultra-high-definition streamingLive event production companies moving to cloud-based workflows

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Broadcasting & Live Media Production

enterprise

Target: TV broadcasters and live event production companies

If you are a broadcaster dealing with the skyrocketing costs and complexity of remote live production — this project developed a Smart Production platform tested in real pilots that lets you produce and stream content remotely over 5G networks, cutting the need for expensive satellite trucks and on-site crews. The platform was validated by RTVE, one of Spain's national broadcasters, across 3 defined use cases.

Immersive Media & Virtual Reality

SME

Target: VR content studios and immersive experience providers

If you are a VR studio struggling with bandwidth bottlenecks and latency when streaming immersive content — this project built and piloted an Immersive Media platform that handles edge-to-cloud processing over 5G, so your VR experiences reach users without lag or quality drops. The pilot was run with 15 consortium partners including dedicated VR and media technology companies.

Content Delivery & Telecom

enterprise

Target: Telecom operators and CDN providers

If you are a telecom operator or CDN provider looking to offer ultra-high-definition streaming without massive infrastructure investment — this project developed and validated an Open CDN pilot for UHD delivery, plus a complete Operations and Configuration Platform with API specifications and user guides. The consortium included telecom operators OTE and TID who co-developed the solution.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to adopt or license this platform?

The project data does not include specific licensing fees or pricing models. However, the consortium introduced a 'Streaming as a Service' concept, suggesting a pay-per-use model rather than upfront licensing. Contact the coordinator for commercial terms.

Can this work at industrial scale for a national broadcaster or major telecom?

Yes — the platform was specifically designed for large-scale deployments and validated through 3 pilot use cases with real industry players including national broadcaster RTVE and telecom operators OTE and Telefónica. The consortium had 10 industry partners across 8 countries.

Who owns the IP and can I license the technology?

The project was coordinated by Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA (Italy), with 15 partners contributing. IP ownership typically follows EU grant rules where each partner owns their contribution. The consortium included IBM, Telefónica, and other major players — licensing would need to be negotiated with the relevant IP holders.

Is this compatible with existing media production workflows?

The platform was designed with an SDK for third-party developers to build, combine, verify, and deploy media applications. The final software prototype includes API specifications and user guides, indicating it was built for integration with existing workflows.

What happened after the project ended in 2020?

The project closed in February 2020 after producing 27 deliverables including final software prototypes with documentation. Based on available project data, the consortium had a well-defined exploitation plan. Current commercial status should be verified directly with consortium partners.

Does this only work with 5G or also with current networks?

The platform was designed specifically for 5G network capabilities, leveraging edge-to-cloud virtualization. Based on available project data, the architecture relies on 5G features like network slicing and edge computing that are not available on 4G networks.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a strong, industry-heavy consortium with 10 out of 15 partners from industry (67%), which is well above average for EU research projects. The lineup reads like a who's-who of European media and telecom: IBM for cloud, Telefónica and OTE for telecom infrastructure, RTVE (Spanish national broadcaster) for real-world media testing, and Engineering Ingegneria Informatica as coordinator — a major Italian IT services company. The 4 SMEs bring agility in areas like network functions and media tools. Spread across 8 countries (Germany, Greece, Spain, France, Israel, Italy, Turkey, UK), the consortium covers major European media markets. This composition signals serious commercial intent — these are companies that would actually use and sell such a platform, not just research it.

ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPACoordinator · IT
CORPORACION DE RADIO Y TELEVISION ESPANOLA SAparticipant · ES
NEXTWORKS SRLparticipant · IT
ETHNIKO KENTRO EREVNAS KAI TECHNOLOGIKIS ANAPTYXISparticipant · EL
INSTITUT FUR RUNDFUNKTECHNIK GMBHparticipant · DE
ORGANISMOS TILEPIKOINONION TIS ELLADOS OTE AEparticipant · EL
TELEFONICA INVESTIGACION Y DESARROLLO SAparticipant · ES
NATIONAL CENTER FOR SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH "DEMOKRITOS"participant · EL
SINGULARLOGIC PLIROFORIAKON SYSTIMATON KAI EFARMOGON PLIROFORIKISparticipant · EL
INTERINNOV SASparticipant · FR
NETAS TELEKOMUNIKASYON ANONIM SIRKETIparticipant · TR
UNIVERSITY COLLEGE LONDONparticipant · UK
IBM ISRAEL - SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY LTDparticipant · IL
UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRIDparticipant · ES

How to reach the team

Engineering Ingegneria Informatica SPA (Italy) — use SciTransfer coordinator lookup to find contact details

Order a report on this consortium See ENGINEERING - INGEGNERIA INFORMATICA SPA profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how 5G media streaming technology could transform your production workflow? SciTransfer can connect you with the right consortium partners and provide a detailed technology brief.

Order a report on this topic More in Digital & ICT