Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services is a point-to-multipoint interface
specification for existing and upcoming 3GPP cellular networks, which is
designed to provide efficient delivery of broadcast and multicast services,
both within a cell as well as within the core network. For broadcast transmission
across multiple cells, it defines transmission via single-frequency
network configurations. Target applications include mobile TV and radio
broadcasting, as well as file delivery and emergency alerts.
Deployment MBMS Mobile Broadcast technology has
never been deployed by any operator in the world, as opposed to other
technologies such as DVB-H, ATSC-MH or ISDB-Tmm.
Various mobile operators in the UK had conducted trials for MBMS-based mobile
TV. There is no indication that these trials resulted in any commercial
deployment. In 2013, Verizon was the first operator
to announce that it will launch eMBMS services, in 2014, over its LTE
networks. eMBMS is the LTE version of MBMS. AT&T subsequently announced plans
to use the 700 MHz Lower D and E Block licenses it acquired in 2011 from
Qualcomm for an LTE Broadcast service. In 2014, several major operators are
lining to deploy and test the technology. The frontrunners being
Verizon, Reliance and Kt. Questions remain whether the technology is an
optimisation tool for the operator or if an operator can generate new revenues
with it. Several studies have been published on the domain identifying both
cost savings and new revenues. In July 2014, Nokia Networks
demonstrated the use of LTE Broadcast to replace Traditional Digital TV. This use
case remains controversial as some study are doubting about the capability of LTE
Broadcast to address this use case efficiently in its current version.
In August 2014, Ericsson and Polkomtel successfully tested LTE broadcast
technology by streaming the opening game of the 2014 World Volleyball
Championship to hundreds of guests at Warsaw’s National Stadium in Poland on
August 30. Competing technologies
Main competing technologies of MBMS include DVB-H/DVB-T, DVB-SH, DMB,
ESM-DAB, and MediaFLO. However, due to spectrum scarcity and the cost of
building new broadcast infrastructure some of these technologies may not be
viable. MediaFLO has been deployed commercially in the US by Verizon
Wireless through their relationship with MediaFLO USA, Inc. however the service
was shut down in early 2011. DMB and DVB-H trials have been ongoing for more
than a year now, like those during the football 2006 championships in Germany.
Huawei's proprietary CMB is a precursor to the Multimedia Broadcast Multicast
Service. It was specified in 3GPP R6 and is using existing UMTS infrastructure.
Huawei says that CMB is based on existing UMTS infrastructure and real
time streaming application protocol. Technical description
The MBMS feature is split into the MBMS Bearer Service and the MBMS User Service
and has been defined to be offered over both UTRAN and LTE. The MBMS Bearer
Service includes a Multicast- and a Broadcast Mode with only the Broadcast
mode available over LTE. The MBMS Bearer Service uses IP multicast addresses for
the IP flows. The advantage of the MBMS Bearer Service compared to unicast
bearer services is, that the transmission resources in the core- and
radio network are shared. One MBMS packet flow is replicated by GGSN, SGSN
and RNCs. MBMS may use an advanced counting scheme to decide, whether or
not zero, one or more dedicated radio channels lead to a more efficient system
usage than one common radio channel. UTRAN MBMS offers up to 256 kbit/s per
MBMS Bearer Service and between 800 kbit/s and 1.7 Mbit/s per cell/band. The
actual cell capacity depends on the UE capabilities. GERAN MBMS offers between
32 kbit/s and 128 kbit/s. Up to 4 GSM timeslot may be used for one MBMS bearer
in downlink direction. The actual data rate per Traffic Slot depends on network
dimensioning. The MBMS User Service is basically the
MBMS Service Layer and offers a Streaming- and a Download Delivery
Method. The Streaming Delivery method can be used for continuous transmissions
like Mobile TV services. The Download Method is intended for “Download and
Play” services. To increase the transmission reliability, an application
layer FEC code may be used. Further, a file-repair service may be offered to
complement the download delivery method. MBMS has been standardized in various
groups of 3GPP, and the first phase standards are found in UMTS release 6.
As Release 6 was functionally frozen by the 3rd quarter of 2004, practical
network implementations may be expected by the end of 2007, and the first
functional mobile terminals supporting MBMS are estimated to be available by
also end of 2007. eMBMS has been standardized in various
groups of 3GPP as part of LTE release 9. The LTE version of MBMS, referred to as
Multicast-broadcast single-frequency network, supports broadcast only
services and is based on a Single Frequency Network based OFDM waveform
and so is functional similar to other broadcast solutions such as DVB-H, -SH
and -NGH. 3GPP technical specifications
MBMS Bearer Service: 3GPP TS 22.146 Multimedia
Broadcast/Multicast Service; Stage 1 3GPP TS 23.246 Multimedia
Broadcast/Multicast Service; Architecture and functional description
3GPP TS 25.346 Introduction of the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service
in the Radio Access Network; Stage 2 3GPP TS 25.992 Multimedia Broadcast
Multicast Service; UTRAN/GERAN Requirements
3GPP TS 36.300 Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access and Evolved
Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network
(E-UTRAN); Overall description; Stage 2 3GPP TS 36.440 General aspects and
principles for interfaces supporting Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service
within E-UTRAN
3GPP TS 43.246 Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service in the
GERAN; Stage 2 3GPP TR 25.803 S-CCPCH performance for
Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service MBMS User Service:
3GPP TS 22.246 Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service user
services; Stage 1 3GPP TS 26.346 Multimedia
Broadcast/Multicast Service; Protocols and codecs
3GPP TR 26.946 Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service user service
guidelines 3GPP TS 33.246 3G Security; Security of
Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service 3GPP TS 32.273 Telecommunication
management; Charging management; Multimedia Broadcast and Multicast
Service charging See also
Mobile television TDtv
Broadcast and Multicast Service, a point-to-multipoint service defined for
3GPP2 systems References