CP04-004

B21C

Broadcast for 21st Century (Part A)

 

Abstract

The B21C project (Broadcast for the 21st Century) aims to constitute a task force, building on the works and reflections of the DVB forum, with the goal to elaborate the technical propositions for the future of Digital Video Broadcasting.
Since its inception in 1997, DVB-T (the DVB Terrestrial Television Transmission system) has fully justified the objectives of its designers, delivering “wireless” Digital TV services in almost every Continent. However, the emergence of new consumer applications (i.e. TV to mobile), new spectrum policy (i.e. the digital dividend from analogue switch off) and the convergence of various wireless technologies (including satellite distribution) are leading the DVB community to both evaluate the suitability of the existing DVB-T system to accommodate such emerging situations and to consider the benefits that new state-of-the-art technologies could bring to DVB-T.
One of the major challenges for the conversion from analogue to digital broadcasting is to maintain a high geographical coverage for both stationary and nomadic terminals – including handheld terminals – in urban and rural areas, while also providing reliable service for mobile receivers used in automotive and in-train applications. Present DVB-H technology represents only the first industry attempt to accommodate consumer demands for broadcasts to a handheld terminal. It is proposed that, by the complementary adoption of DVB-H and satellite broadcasting technologies, it should be possible to deliver a high QoS for all applications and terminals, in both urban and rural areas, meeting in full all consumer requirements.
In light of such challenges, the development and standardisation of extended DVB systems will require extensive work in the areas of channel modelling, simulation, laboratory testing and field trials.
The B21C project aims to support the standardisation process of these extended DVB transmission systems within the broadcasting landscape that is rapidly evolving.The B21C project has the clear objectives to sustain the evolutions of Digital Video Broadcasting demanded by emerging new applications and usage of broadcast content:
  • To contribute to the success of DVB-H network deployment world-wide, (by defining DVB-H optimum parameter settings for indoor/outdoor pedestrian reception),
  • To participate to the elaboration of hybrid satellite/terrestrial broadcast networks, sustaining the work of the DVB-SSP adhoc groups, thus insuring ubiquitous availability of DVB H services worldwide,
  • To constitute a Technical Task Force actively contributing to the work engaged by the DVB-T2 adhoc group related to the future of the European DVB Terrestrial transmission system

Clearly, the B21C project’s major objective is to conceive and concentrate the foundations for “Broadcast for the 21st Century”.

 

Promotion of IST Integrated Telecommunications System and Pan-European Lab
The B21C project will enable the European broadcast industry to lead the introduction of state-of-the-art transmission technologies and to address emerging consumer usage, regulatory context and convergence scenarios.
The B21C project will contribute to the creation of a European research pool comprising of simulation, laboratory and field trials resources to speed and optimise technology development and validation.
The evolution of Mobile Telecommunication Services tends to provide broadcast services in addition to the traditional telecommunication ones. Users will soon consume Multimedia Content (including Broadcast content) in every situation where they are able to have a network connection. This emerging usage of Broadcast content outside the home implies the integration of broadcast technologies in both telecommunication networks and mobile terminals.
B21C, by addressing the broadcast segment of these future integrated telecommunication systems, will contribute significantly to the smoothing of this integration by ensuring an optimum deployment of DVB-H commercial networks (short term goal), the addition of a satellite segment to provide universal coverage of DVB-H services (medium term goal) and the definition of an harmonised future version of the DVB-T transmission system - addressing both current and emerging usages of Terrestrial Broadcast transmission (long term goal).
B21C is composed of a large consortium of European Academies, Industries and Network Operators (telecommunications/satellite/broadcast) who aim to share their knowledge and competencies to form a Pan-European Laboratory to provide Broadcast (technologies) for the 21st Century.

 

Further Information (Project coordinator/ proposing company)
Mr.  Gerard FARIA, TEAMCAST
Email: gerard.faria (at) teamcast.com