5G-EMERGE, the European research initiative designed to enable efficient media delivery across diverse geographies through the integration of satellite, 5G, and terrestrial IP infrastructures, has entered its second phase. With consortium membership growing from 21 to 34 companies, 5G-EMERGE continues its mission to transform content distribution. Co-funded by ESA ARTES and led by the EBU, the two stakeholder organizations signed the Phase 2 agreement on 13 November 2024 in Paris.
The project’s goal is to merge native IP satellite and terrestrial infrastructures with 5G networks and smart edge delivery principles, establishing a multilayered system that revolutionizes content distribution for broadcasters. This approach enhances service quality and resilience, including in areas with limited or no terrestrial network coverage. For media organizations, telecom operators, and policymakers, 5G-EMERGE represents a future-ready solution to meet rising demands for sustainable, widespread content accessibility and robust network resilience.
In Paris, consortium members committed to advancing the project for at least another two years, pushing forward into a pre-industrialization phase. This stage focuses on elevating core technologies to market readiness, with an emphasis on the specific needs of ‘anchor customers’.
The expanding consortium aims to develop edge services optimized for home reception, direct-to-vehicle access, and nomadic applications, while facilitating extensive 5G-network integration. The project will also explore service models enabled by NR-NTN, a new standard for direct 5G satellite-to-mobile communication.
“The convergence of satellite technologies with online delivery mechanisms is essential for media distribution, enabling reach, quality improvement, cost reduction, and resilience,” said Antonio Arcidiacono, Director of Technology & Innovation at EBU. “5G-EMERGE is a key initiative for developing interactive edge-casting services to support live or on-demand content delivery to a large number of users. It is also a practical example of the EBU’s ‘Multilayer, Anywhere, Resilient, and Sustainable’ (MARS) concept.”
Antonio Franchi, Head of the 5G/6G NTN Programme Office, added, “The 5G-EMERGE project is a transformative initiative that integrates satellite and terrestrial networks to deliver unparalleled access and scalability for media services. We are paving the way for a future where content delivery is seamless, efficient, and accessible anywhere, for a superior experience for end-users, and a more competitive broadcasting landscape across Europe."
In Phase 1, 5G-EMERGE established the technical and market framework, publishing several white papers and validating requirements across five testbeds in Europe, addressing direct-to-home, direct-to-vehicle, and direct-to-edge applications. Two mature products and several prototypes were developed (details at www.5g-emerge.com/resources).
Building on this foundation, Phase 2 will develop targeted services and solutions for specific market needs. Key areas include edge services for online video platforms, 5G orchestration, edge security, caching optimization, and service monitoring. The project will also focus on antennas optimized for home use, nomadic applications, and vehicles, as well as cloud backhauling, 5G network integrations, gateways, and other essential solutions.
5G-EMERGE is led by the EBU (CH) and co-funded by 8 ESA ARTES member states. The consortium consists of companies specializing in satellite and online delivery, listed here in alphabetical order: Artic Space (S), BFBS (UK), Brightcove (UK), BroadcastCritical (UK), CYSEC (CH), Eutelsat/OneWeb (F), GCore (L), Hewlett Packard Enterprise (I), Humans Not Robots (UK), FTA/Inverto (L), Keysight (UK) (FIN), Fondazione LINKS (I), MBI (I), Magister Solutions (FIN), MediaTek (UK) (FIN), MinWave (CH), Nextworks (I), NorthBase (FIN), Oulu University (FIN), RAI (I), ROMARS (I), SES (LU), SixSq (CH), SnT (L), SwissTXT (CH), Telenor ASA (N), TNO (NL), Varnish Software (S), Verkotan (FIN), Viasat (CH), VTT (FIN).