A perfect way to end the week: The  5G-MAG  Reference Tools community is inviting you to a special session on Friday 6th June at 13:00 CEST We have scheduled the following exciting presentations: 👉 XR Reference Tools Development Updates - Nils Duval  ( Motion Spell ) 👉 Bringing stage events with real actors to your home in VR - A low complexity solution for immersive media streaming - Joachim Keinert  ( Fraunhofer IIS ) 👉 V3C Player version 0.6 with haptics support - Bart Kroon  ( Philips ), Bertrand Leroy  ( InterDigital, Inc. ) 👉 Enabling Portable XR Experiences Across Devices and Networks: Where OpenXR Meets 5G Media Architecture -  Frédéric Plourde  (XR Lead at Collabora  and The Khronos Group  OpenXR Outreach Officer) EVENT: 5G-MAG FRIDAY'S PUBLIC CALL DATE: 6th June 2025 at 13:00 CET LOCATION: ONLINE Use this link to join the session: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86380468460?pwd=UnlGOVE5a3RUSnNCcFRGK0RmQlRHdz09  or Download the calendar of public calls here:  https://www.5g-mag.com/community#calendar

Download the 5G-MAG Report (PDF) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1v1xGh0oBER_QFRWgge7IyDHNw_UFm4nF/view?usp=sharing ABOUT THE REPORT This is a report produced by the 5G-MAG Workgroup UC (Use Cases, Requirements and Opportunities). Current version of the report: v.1.0 Date of publication: 6th May 2024 ABSTRACT Mobile broadband is used today to distribute traditional audiovisual services to smartphones, home routers or connected devices such as set-top boxes (STBs). This includes distribution of live and on-demand streaming services to apps and browsers, experienced in a two dimensional (2D) format with some degree of interactivity provided within them. This report presents a collection of use cases and high-level architectures, along with an overview of high-level requirements for media services beyond 2D, while subsequent studies might focus on the extent to which 3GPP and other media-related specifications can support these use cases. The primary scope of the present document is to provide: An overview of the evolution of media services beyond 2D; A collection of existing and future use cases and services; A high-level perspective on architecture, features and requirements Figure 22. Free-viewpoint: live streaming Figure 22. Free-viewpoint: Time-freezing highlights Figure 22. Free-viewpoint: Space-shifting highlights REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK 5G-MAG welcomes feedback from the community to this document. If you have comments on the report, please submit them using our GitHub repository for "Request for Feedback" https://github.com/5G-MAG/Requests-for-Feedback 5G-MAG members may take further actions on this document according to the comments received.

Download the 5G-MAG Report (PDF): https://drive.google.com/file/d/16uvMupJ0Mwr0Q8-Bf1ZVUDiwSaQ9VVXl/view?usp=sharing ABOUT THE REPORT This report analyses the gaps or issues of how Advanced Media Services may bring new demands to the 5G network. The analysis includes new and different use cases, media services and technology deployment development and an evaluation of the 3GPP system. Current version of the report: v.1.0 Date of publication: 13th May 2025 REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK 5G-MAG welcomes feedback from the community to this document. If you have comments on the report, please submit them using our GitHub repository for "Request for Feedback" https://5g-mag.github.io/Requests-for-Feedback/ 5G-MAG members may take further actions on this document according to the comments received.

We're thrilled to join the first OSCAR (Open-Source Core, Applications and RAN) Workshop! This dynamic event brings together leading organizations at the forefront of open-source software development with the objective of fostering collaboration. ​ At the OSCAR Workshop, we will: Gain insights into the latest open-source projects and roadmaps from different organizations (confirmed so far: OpenAirInterface, 5G-MAG Reference Tools). Explore synergies and identify opportunities for collaboration across different projects. Understand the logistics around the developer communities, software licenses and more details. Connect with experts and build valuable relationships within the open standards community. ​ We are meeting on June 12 at 15:00 CEST ​ REGISTER NOW https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/O1dtHrVSQY6xi2Sae60TMw Agenda Introduction to the projects and organizations - 50 min ​ OpenAirInterface - Robert Schmidt (OAI) srsRAN - Brendan McAuliffe (srs) Open5GS - Sukchan Lee (Open5GS) free5GC - Chien Chen (free5GC) 5G-MAG Reference Tools - Daniel Silhavy (5G-MAG) ​ 5G Core Implementations - 40 min ​ Open5GS - Sukchan Lee (Open5GS) free5GC - Chien Chen (free5GC) OpenAirInterface - Tien-Thinh Nguyen (OAI) ​ RAN Implementations - 30 min ​ srsRAN - Brendan McAuliffe (srs) OpenAirInterface - Jaroslava Fiedlerova (OAI) ​ Operations and Maintenance (OAM) - 10 mi OpenAirInterface - Teodora Vladić (OAI) ​ Applications - 15 min 5G-MAG Reference Tools - Daniel Silhavy & Nils Duval (5G-MAG) ​​ Discussion, Collaboration and Q&A - 15 mins ​​ We will capture questions from the audience via Q&A and participants will be able to respond during the session. EVENT: OSCAR WORKSHOP 1 DATE: 12 June 2025 at 15:00 to 17:30 CEST LOCATION: ONLINE REGISTRATION: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/O1dtHrVSQY6xi2Sae60TMw

We are happy to announce that version 1.1.0 of the Data Collection Application Function (DCAF) has been released. Version 1.1.0 adds a support for using the Data Collection Application Function with Docker and the Insomnia REST client. A detailed tutorial and a demo video can be found on our documentation website: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/ue-data-collection-reporting-exposure/tutorials/docker-with-insomnia.html The official release including the release notes can be found directly on GitHub:  https://github.com/5G-MAG/rt-data-collection-application-function/releases/tag/rt-data-collection-application-function-1.1.0 A big thank you to all the contributors of the 5G-MAG Reference Tools,  David Waring  ( BBC ),  Dev Audsin  ( BBC ),  Richard Bradbury  ( BBC ) and Daniel Silhavy ( Fraunhofer FOKUS ).

On the 3rd June, the AFNOR ( Association française de normalisation) invites you to a unique day dedicated to 5G/6G technologies and their role in the evolution of immersive multimedia services and the challenges of standardization in this field. Join us for 5G-MAG Reference Tools Demos! EVENT:  AFNOR Workshop DATE:  3rd June 2025 from 10:00 to 16:30 local time LOCATION:   Afnor La Plaine 11 rue Francis de Pressensé 93210 La Plaine Saint-Denis (France) INFORMATION ABOUT THE EVENT AND REGISTRATION: www.afnor.org/evenement/5g-6g-medias-enjeux-normalisation-reseaux-futur/

A perfect way to end the week: The  5G-MAG  Reference Tools community is inviting you to a special session on Friday November 8th at 13:00 CET. We have scheduled four exciting presentations around the topics of 5G and Media: UE data collection, reporting and event exposure including mapping to 5G Media Streaming by  Richard Bradbury  ( BBC ),  David Waring  ( BBC ) and  Dev Audsin  ( BBC ) Related projects: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/ue-data-collection-reporting-exposure/ Related projects: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/5g-media-streaming/ Download slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HW3Afgb2729K-sqJi3Ymx6zPFoRn1omw/view?usp=drive_link 5G Broadcast: The Nakolos Core by  Johann Mika  ( ORS Group (Austrian Broadcasting Services) ,  Gokul Sani  ( ORS Group (Austrian Broadcasting Services) ) and  Stefan Babel  ( ORS Group (Austrian Broadcasting Services) ) Related projects: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/lte-based-5g-broadcast/ Download slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Qkj-eDc-KWHLgkUQxb9QQ1uI-Zm54Kfi/view?usp=drive_link 5G Multicast Broadcast Services: Implementation of an MVP in the 5G-MAG Reference Tools by  Borja Iñesta Hernández  ( Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) ),  Jaime Sánchez Roldán  ( Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV) ) Related projects: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/5g-multicast-broadcast-services/ Download slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1RSL8b79Oq36wU8_sVQvFvTETpuZ5n4Mf/view?usp=drive_link FLUTE support in GPAC for Multicast ABR Streaming by  Sohaib Larbi ,  Romain Bouqueau  (Motionspell) and  Nils Duval Related projects: https://5g-mag.github.io/Getting-Started/pages/multimedia-content-delivery/ Download slides: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HbM7GeTarxF3R9a3leQu2prv6Y955yYy/view?usp=drive_link Use this link to join the sess ion:   https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86380468460?pwd=UnlGOVE5a3RUSnNCcFRGK0RmQlRHdz09 o r Download the calendar of public calls here:  https://www.5g-mag.com/community#calendar EVENT: 5G-MAG REFERENCE TOOLS Special Session DATE: November 8 at 13:00 CET LOCATION: ONLINE

We are happy to announce the first release of 5G Multicast Broadcast Services (MBS) as part of the 5G-MAG Reference Tools. This release provides reference implementations of an MB-UPF, MB-SMF as extensions of the UPF and SMF of the Open5GS project. In addition it provides an initial implementation of AMF, gNB and UE with MBS. A simple AF/AS allows testing the setup. A tutorial is provided here: Initial MBS support in the 5GC | 5G-MAG - Reference Tools This initial functionalities of MBS support in the 5G Core, RAN and UE are complemented by Docker images and Docker Compose deployments to test the whole setup. This is a contribution from Borja Iñesta Hernández  and  Jaime Sánchez Roldán , from Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV)  to the 5G-MAG Reference Tools. Access the project information here: 5G Multicast Broadcast (MBS)

We have just released version 1.0.0 of the 5G-MAG Reference Tools - 5G Core Service Consumers. This is the first release of the 5G Core Service Consumer libraries and tools. These are based upon the Open5GS 5G Core and can be used as an independent set of tools for testing or controlling 5G Core APIs or as libraries for adding API handling into your own Open5GS based AF implementations. The 5G Core presents several Network Functions, each of which has its own set of service interfaces. This is a collection of reusable service consumer libraries designed to talk to the 5G Core Network Functions using some of these service interfaces. Currently available: libscbsf - Binding Support Function (BSF) service consumer library. The Binding Support Function (BSF) is responsible for maintaining a mapping between UE PDU Session and the PCF which is managing that PDU Session. The libscbsf library aids in discovery of the BSF in the 5G Core (by interrogating the NRF) and subsequently looking up which PCF is managing the PDU Session for a UE, identified by its IP address. This library implements the service consumer end of the following service-based APIs: Nbsf_Management libscpcf - Policy Control Function (PCF) service consumer library. The Policy Control Function (PCF) is responsible for applying charging and network policy to the PDU sessions of UEs. The Npcf_PolicyAuthorization service API is used at reference point N5 by an Application Function (AF) to request policy changes to the PDU session on behalf of the UE. This allows an Application Function to manipulate particular network QoS parameters for selected IP traffic flows within the PDU session. The libscpcf library allows an application to connect to a PCF and request an AppSessionContext which it can then use to manipulate the network routing policies for traffic passing across specific application flows within a UE's PDU Session. This library implements the service consumer end of the following service-based APIs: Npcf_PolicyAuthorization 👏 Big thank you to the contributors David Waring ( BBC ) and Daniel Silhavy ( Fraunhofer FOKUS ). 👉 The full release notes can be found here: https://github.com/5G-MAG/rt-5gc-service-consumers/releases/tag/rt-5gc-service-consumers-1.0.0 👉 More information about 5G-MAG and the 5G-MAG Reference Tools can be found on our website: developer.5g-mag.com/

Download 3GPP TR 26.805 (PDF) With Thorsten Lohmar (Ericsson) as rapporteur, 3GPP Technical Report 26.805 comprises a variety of relevant media production use cases, reference media production architectures and workflow descriptions to identify standardization needs and potential standards gaps when using 5G Systems for media production including Non-Public Networks (NPN) both Standalone NPN and Public-Network-Integrated NPN. Aspects such 5G System features, relevant protocols used in media production, codecs and service layers for 5G System usage, among others, are addressed in the document. Learn more about NPNs for Media Production: https://www.5g-mag.com/explainers Aspects such as relevant media production use cases, reference media production architectures, relevant QoS requirements for media production workflows, 5G System features, protocols, codecs and service layers for 5G System usage, among others, are addressed in the document. The document also contains guidelines for media producers and device manufacturers. In particular, the following are highlighted: Avoid multiplexing of different media components (e.g. MPEG 2 Transport Stream). However, when MPEG-2 Transport Stream is used, then the following suggestions should be considered: Allow extra jitter buffer for PCR timeline Do not insert null packets Encapsulate MPEG-2 Transport Stream in an RTP session according to IETF RFC 2250 Use GBR QoS flows to carry constant bit rate streams Use dynamic bit rate adaptation to avoid packet loss Provision network QoS end-to-end Use client-initiated control protocols to avoid problems with firewalls and NAT Use unicast IP data flows in preference to multicast IP Use precise time synchronisation Use packed-based transmission for audio streams with a single parameter set 3GPP also recommends 5G-MAG to identify a follow-up on these guidelines to support media production device manufactures and media producers to leverage different 3GPP features for their purposes. Beyond the individual contributions by 3GPP members, 5G-MAG organized several workshops to reach out to various media producers and device manufactures with respect to 5G network usage. https://www.5g-mag.com/post/5g-mag-workshop-media-production-over-5g-npn https://www.5g-mag.com/post/5g-mag-workshop-media-production-over-5g-npn-deep-dive-into-protocols A site on trials is also maintained by the association: https://www.5g-mag.com/trials

Download (PDF) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ojh86tt6O9vIP3Ac2DdQfaJ78-_hXdia/view ABOUT THE REPORT This is a report produced by the 5G-MAG Workgroup CP (Content Production - Standards and Architecture). Current version of the report: v.1.0 Date of publication: 5th December 2022 ABSTRACT This report focuses on the use of 5G technologies in media production and contribution workflows. With reference to three live production deployment scenarios of evolving complexity, it provides: a brief description of the current state of the art for equipment and technologies; an overview of the features that 5G would ideally support for each scenario; and an initial inventory of potential solutions available in the 5G specifications currently under development. The annexes provide further background information and definitions of key terms, along with additional details on the parameter ranges for media-related data streams that the 5G network would transport. REQUEST FOR FEEDBACK 5G-MAG welcomes feedback from the community to this document. If you have comments on the report, please submit them using our GitHub repository for "Request for Feedback" https://github.com/5G-MAG/Requests-for-Feedback 5G-MAG members may take further actions on this document according to the comments received.

Download (PDF) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OJkHzjXeI9SrlXE98D7kxdD7b_m6dxXS/view?usp=share_link 3GPP Release 17 brings Multicast–Broadcast Services (MBS) to the 5G System, based on 5G Core and New Radio. MBS allows the network to select the most suitable among point-to-multipoint (PTM) or point-to-point (PTP) delivery based on requirements set by either service providers or network operators and/or taking into account concurrent user demand. Multicast Services A Multicast Service uses PTM and/or PTP delivery methods to transport traffic from a single source to User Equipment (UE) terminals within a multicast service area that have subscribed to the service. Multicast traffic is efficiently and reliably transported over the 5G core network to compatible base stations using the shared traffic delivery method. The individual traffic delivery method can serve multicast traffic to legacy base stations that do not support MBS. MBS-enabled base stations autonomously decide whether to use PTM or PTP delivery methods at the radio access network based on the number of concurrent subscriptions and the quality of the radio channel. To receive Multicast Services, UEs must first subscribe to a multicast group. Base stations 1 and 2 use the PTM delivery method to serve subscribed UEs within their reception footprints. Base station 2 additionally uses the PTP delivery method to serve UEs that require more robust delivery. Base station 3 (not supporting MBS) can deliver multicast packets via a conventional unicast PDU session unique to each subscribed UE. Broadcast Services A Broadcast Service uses only the PTM delivery method to transport traffic from a single source to multiple UEs within a broadcast service area. Any UE within the broadcast service area that has registered with the network can receive Broadcast Services. A single copy of the MBS traffic is efficiently transported over the 5G core network to each MBS-compatible base station in the service area using the shared traffic delivery method. A Broadcast Service is available to compatible UEs within the broadcast service area, always using the PTM delivery method. What kinds of service could be offered with 5G MBS? MBS supports the delivery of both operator and third-party media content. In particular, MBS User Services allow popular online television and radio services (e.g. live sport or national events) to be delivered efficiently to compatible equipment such as smartphones, smart TVs or car infotainment systems. Broadcast is suitable for localized services at the granularity of individual cells (e.g. services in venues, stadiums, exhibition centres). Multicast allows the efficient and scalable delivery of popular services while ensuring a similar quality of service (QoS) and reliability to that of unicast distribution. Quality of experience is independent of audience size and network congestion is mitigated. Multicast allows a group of UEs to receive services according to QoS requirements and/or prevailing channel conditions. Additional characteristics To minimize implementation impact and complexity, MBS reuses the existing (3GPP Release 15/16) radio-layer design for physical channels, reference signals, and sub-carrier spacings and cyclic prefixes. How is the coverage area of a service determined? For both Multicast and Broadcast Services, individual cells may be added to or removed from the service area. The Multicast Service is transmitted only in cells within the multicast service area in which there are UEs that have joined an MBS session. Cells within the broadcast service area transmit the Broadcast Service regardless of whether the service is requested or not. For multicast, link adaptation selects the most appropriate modulation and coding scheme (MCS). Beamforming is optimized for the UEs in the multicast group. For broadcast, each service is pre-assigned an MCS, as there is no channel-state information feedback from UEs. Single frequency network (SFN) operation is possible across sectors of the same base station for multicast. For broadcast, SFNs can be implemented across base stations that are sufficiently close to each other, transparent to UEs. How is reliability of reception managed? For multicast, provision of UE feedback, support of retransmissions using PTP or PTM, link adaptation, and beamforming, among other mechanisms, ensure reliability. For broadcast, services are delivered with no guarantee of reception, however data repetition (slot-level) is possible for improved performance. How are mobility and service continuity managed? For multicast, service continuity across cells is supported by handover between the base stations a UE traverses. For broadcast, neighbour-cell information and cell-reselection mechanisms are available but may not ensure lossless handover. Can MBS services be transmitted together with other types of traffic on the 5G network? Mixed radio carriers can deliver multicast and/or broadcast services alongside other unicast data on the same cell. Learn more... A paper from Qualcomm and a blog post from Ericsson provide more details about MBS. For a detailed list of 3GPP specifications please refer to: 5g-mag.com/standards