5G Broadcast delivers linear TV and radio to an unlimited number of devices over a free-to-air radio signal, with no SIM and no per-user connection or return channel.
Overview
It is built on LTE (Long Term Evolution, the 4G radio standard) and standardised by 3GPP, using the evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) and its further-enhanced variant Further evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (FeMBMS), also called LTE-based 5G Broadcast. This project provides the reference transmitter and receiver so anyone can test a complete broadcast chain, and it is aimed at broadcasters, network engineers and developers evaluating or deploying 5G Broadcast.
Reference transmitter (rt-mbms-tx) and receiver/modem (rt-mbms-modem) for LTE-based 5G Broadcast (FeMBMS), implementing ETSI TS 103 720. These tools enable end-to-end testing of 5G Broadcast systems for TV and radio distribution over dedicated broadcast carriers, without a return channel or SIM requirement on the receiver side. The project also covers hybrid broadcast/broadband delivery and integration with DVB-I service discovery.
Implemented specifications: ETSI TS 103 720 (5G Broadcast System for linear TV and radio), 3GPP TR 36.976 (LTE-based 5G broadcast overview), TS 26.346 (MBMS protocols and codecs), TS 26.347 (MBMS application programming interface).
The 5G Broadcast Reference Tools transmitter, with the "5G-MAGflix" demo app receiving a live broadcast stream.
- Scope for the feature support matrix across 3GPP Rel-14 to Rel-19, plus the architecture diagrams — see Scope.
- Resources for the source code, repositories and latest releases — see Resources.
- Tutorials for step-by-step guides to playback, seamless switching, Docker and measurements setups — see Tutorials.
Tools at a glance
The tutorials refer to the following repositories by name. This table maps each to its role in the broadcast chain.
| Repository | Role |
|---|---|
rt-mbms-tx | 5G Broadcast transmitter (FeMBMS waveform) |
rt-mbms-tx-for-qrd-and-crd | Transmitter variant based on an MBMS-enabled eNodeB, tailored for QRD and CRD receiver devices |
rt-mbms-modem | Receiver (modem) that demodulates the broadcast signal and outputs the delivered content |
rt-mbms-mw | Middleware that decodes received files and exposes them to a media player |
rt-wui | Web user interface for monitoring the modem and middleware |
rt-libflute | FLUTE (File Delivery over Unidirectional Transport) library used to encode and decode delivered files |
flute-ffmpeg | Helper that creates a live stream and FLUTE-encodes it for transmission |
Project Overview
Download the slide deck of this ProjectGo deeper
| Area | Details |
|---|---|
| Technical documentation | Architecture, deployment profiles, and analysis: 5G Broadcast on the Tech portal |
| Standards | ETSI TS 103 720 versions, 3GPP specs, and 5G-MAG contributions: 5G Broadcast on the Standards portal |
| Applications | Real, assembled scenarios built on this tool: 5G Broadcast for TV, Radio and Emergency Alerts |
Developer Exchange
See the Reference Tools in action, with a community video from the tutorials page.
The Nakolos Core: Interoperability with 5G-MAG Reference Tools - Developer Exchange
Community Stats
Last Synced: 2026-07-28 01:13 UTC
| Repository | Stars | Forks | Views (Total) | Clones (Total) | Activity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| rt-mbms-mw | 8 | 9 | 68 | 50 | Stable |
| rt-mbms-modem | 26 | 13 | 363 | 169 | Stable |
| rt-mbms-tx | 10 | 5 | 114 | 78 | Stable |
| rt-wui | 6 | 7 | 2 | 8 | Stable |
| rt-mbms-mw-android | 5 | 4 | 115 | 56 | Stable |
| rt-libflute | 23 | 11 | 281 | 631 | Active |
| rt-common-shared | 3 | 10 | 264 | 1012 | Active |
| rt-mbms-examples | 4 | 3 | 44 | 126 | Stable |
| rt-mbms-tx-for-qrd-and-crd | 11 | 7 | 211 | 28 | Stable |
