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5G-Xcast · Project

5G Broadcast Technology That Delivers Live Video to Millions Without Network Congestion

digitalPilotedTRL 6
5g-xcast.eu

Imagine a packed stadium where 80,000 fans try to stream replays on their phones at the same time — the network crashes. 5G-Xcast built a smarter way to deliver video over 5G: instead of sending a separate stream to each phone, it broadcasts one stream that all devices pick up simultaneously, like a TV tower but through mobile networks. They demonstrated this at the 2018 European Championships and major tech expos like Mobile World Congress. The result is a system that can handle massive live audiences without choking the network or breaking the bank for operators.

By the numbers
EUR 7,999,920
EU funding for R&D
18
consortium partners
10
countries represented
5
live technology demonstrators at major events
12
industry partners in the consortium
8
SMEs in the consortium
67%
industry participation ratio
26
total project deliverables
The business problem

What needed solving

Live video streaming to large audiences over mobile networks is brutally expensive and unreliable. Every viewer needs a separate data stream, so costs and congestion scale linearly — a stadium event or breaking news moment can crash the network while CDN bills explode. Current 4G and early 5G networks were not designed for efficient one-to-many delivery at massive scale.

The solution

What was built

The project built a unified 5G media delivery system combining unicast, multicast, and broadcast modes with common APIs for content providers. Concrete outputs include 5 working demonstrators shown at IBC 2018, MWC 2019, the European Championships 2018, and two EuCNC conferences, plus 26 total deliverables covering radio interface, transport layers, network architecture, and new business models.

Audience

Who needs this

TV broadcasters and OTT platforms struggling with CDN costs for live eventsMobile network operators facing congestion at large venues and dense areasConnected vehicle companies needing efficient mass software/data distributionPublic safety agencies requiring reliable one-to-many emergency communicationsSports and entertainment venues wanting to offer rich mobile experiences to attendees
Business applications

Who can put this to work

Media & Broadcasting
enterprise
Target: TV broadcasters and OTT streaming platforms

If you are a broadcaster dealing with skyrocketing CDN costs every time millions tune in for a live event — this project developed a 5G multicast/broadcast delivery system demonstrated at IBC 2018 and MWC 2019 that can serve unlimited simultaneous viewers without scaling server costs linearly. The consortium of 18 partners across 10 countries built and tested APIs that let content providers plug into this system without rebuilding their platforms.

Telecommunications
enterprise
Target: Mobile network operators and infrastructure vendors

If you are a mobile operator struggling with network congestion at stadiums, concerts, and dense urban areas — this project built a unified unicast/multicast/broadcast mode for 5G networks, showcased live at the European Championships 2018. With 12 industry partners including telecom players already involved, the technology feeds directly into 3GPP standards, meaning it can be integrated into your existing 5G rollout plans.

Automotive & IoT
mid-size
Target: Connected vehicle platform providers and IoT fleet managers

If you are a connected vehicle company that needs to push software updates or traffic data to thousands of cars simultaneously — this project addressed automotive and IoT verticals specifically, developing broadcast capabilities that send one update to all devices at once instead of one-by-one. The 5 proof-of-concept demonstrators validated that this approach works across different use cases beyond just media.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or implement this technology?

The project was funded with EUR 7,999,920 under a Research and Innovation Action, meaning results are typically available under fair licensing terms. With 8 SMEs in the consortium, some partners may offer commercial licensing or integration services. Contact the consortium for specific pricing.

Can this scale to millions of users in a real network?

The technology was specifically designed for large-scale media distribution — the most demanding use case in terms of data rate, scalability, and coverage according to the project objectives. Demonstrations at the European Championships 2018 and Mobile World Congress 2019 showed it working under realistic conditions with real content.

Who owns the IP and how can I access it?

IP is shared among 18 consortium partners across 10 countries. As an EU-funded RIA project, results must be disseminated, but commercial IP remains with the developing partners. The strong 3GPP standardization involvement means some results are embedded in open 5G standards.

Is this compatible with existing 5G infrastructure?

Yes — the project explicitly contributed to 3GPP standardization of 5G broadcast, building on the consortium's prior work in 4G Broadcast standardization. The system was designed to harmonize across unicast, multicast, and broadcast modes with common APIs for content providers.

What exactly was demonstrated and where?

Five dedicated demonstrators were built: IBC 2018 (Amsterdam, broadcasting trade show), MWC 2019 (Barcelona, mobile industry), European Championships 2018 (live sports event), and two EuCNC conferences (2018 and 2019). These covered real-world broadcast scenarios, not just lab tests.

Does this work for use cases beyond media and entertainment?

The project focused on Media & Entertainment but explicitly addressed automotive, Internet of Things, and public safety verticals to ensure their technical requirements were also covered. The broadcast/multicast capability is useful anywhere one-to-many data delivery is needed.

Consortium

Who built it

This is a heavily industry-driven consortium: 12 out of 18 partners come from industry, giving a 67% industry ratio — well above average for EU research projects. The 8 SMEs suggest a mix of agile technology companies alongside larger telecom and media players. The geographic spread across 10 countries (including major telecom markets like Germany, France, UK, Finland, Spain, Italy, and the Netherlands) means the technology was designed with multiple European regulatory and market environments in mind. The coordinator is Universitat Politecnica de Valencia (Spain), a university with strong telecom research credentials, providing academic rigor while industry partners drive commercial relevance. The consortium's stated strong presence in both 5G-PPP Phase 1 and 3GPP 4G Broadcast standardization means these are established players with direct influence on how 5G standards are written.

How to reach the team

The coordinator is Universitat Politecnica de Valencia in Spain. SciTransfer can facilitate an introduction to the right technical contact.

Order a report on this consortiumSee UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA profile →
Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how 5G broadcast technology can reduce your content delivery costs or network congestion? SciTransfer can connect you with the project team and prepare a tailored briefing for your use case.

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