This page is the detailed, release-by-release companion to Media delivery over 5G Broadcast: Specifications: the work items, Change Requests and RAN meetings behind each release. See that page for the ETSI TS 103 720 overview, the full specification list and current capabilities.
Related reference tools, not otherwise linked from this page's own sidebar (which is scoped to 5G Broadcast, not Emergency Alerts): Emergency Alerts.
LTE-based 5G Broadcast is not a single 3GPP work item but the accumulation of several, each adding capability to the same LTE physical layer (the TS 36.xxx series). The normative 3GPP work item LTE_terr_bcast was approved at RAN#83 (March 2019); the Release 14 features it builds on predate it. See Media delivery over 5G Broadcast: Specifications for how each 3GPP release maps to an ETSI TS 103 720 version.
- Release 14: the FeMBMS baseline, with 1.25 kHz and 7.5 kHz subcarrier spacing, the Cell Acquisition Subframe and the MBMS-dedicated cell.
- Release 16: LTE-based 5G Terrestrial Broadcast, with 2.5 kHz and 0.37 kHz subcarrier spacing, and an extended Receive-Only Mode report (
MBMS-ROM-Info-r16). - Release 17: 6, 7 and 8 MHz PMCH channel bandwidths.
- Release 18: Band 108, and the completion of Band 107.
- Release 19: PMCH phase 2 (time and frequency interleaving), CAS muting, and Bands 112 and 113.
- Release 20: one work item in the work plan, LTE_band_246_5G_bcast_GSO_BWs.
Release-by-release summary
| 3GPP Release | Key additions |
|---|---|
| Rel-14 | 1.25 kHz and 7.5 kHz subcarrier spacing (SCS); Cell Acquisition Subframe (CAS); MBMS-dedicated cell; MIB-MBMS; SIB1-MBMS |
| Rel-16 | 2.5 kHz and 0.37 kHz SCS; new reference-signal patterns; PDCCH Format 4 (aggregation level 16); MBSFN-AreaInfo-r16; extended Receive-Only Mode (ROM) report (MBMS-ROM-Info-r16) |
| Rel-17 | 6/7/8 MHz PMCH channel bandwidths (30/35/40 PRB); Band 107 (612 to 652 MHz, downlink-only) is not in the Release 17 TS 36.101 (V17.19.0): its band-table entry and receiver requirements were written in Release 18 (see below). |
| Rel-18 | Band 108 (470 to 698 MHz, receive-only) and Band 107's TS 36.101/36.104 entries and receiver requirements, both introduced and completed here (CR 6016 to CR 6067, September 2023 to December 2024; see below). |
| Rel-19 | PMCH time interleaving and frequency interleaving; cyclic shift; TBS scaling; extended MCH scheduling periods; RRC v1900 extension chain |
| Rel-19 | CAS muting for PSS / SSS / PBCH; SIB1-MBMS v1900; new UE capability |
| Rel-19 | Bands 112 (470 to 608 MHz) and 113 (606 to 698 MHz); RF specifications in TS 36.101. Standalone downlink-only (SDO) bands, which include Bands 107, 108, 112 and 113, are release-independent from Rel-17 (TS 36.307 V20.0.0 clause 3A, Table 3A.1-1; CR 4511, RAN#108). |
Work items behind each release
The work item records above are listed separately so the summary stays readable; each release section below explains what its work item delivered.
| 3GPP Release | Work item (parent, then children) |
|---|---|
| Rel-14 | Parent: 700032 EnTV Children: 670010 Study, 720015 Architecture, 730052 Mobile Network Interface, 740049 Stage 3, 740060 Codec RAN parent: 710081 MBMS_LTE_enh2 RAN children: 710181 Core, 710281 Perf. |
| Rel-16 | Parent: 830076 LTE_terr_bcast Children: 800091 Study, 830176 Core, 830276 Perf. |
| Rel-17 | Parent: 911020 LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part1 Child: 911120 Core |
| Rel-18 | Parent: 920071 LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part2 Children: 920171 Core, 1050131 UE Conformance |
| Rel-19 | Parent: 1060081 LTE_terr_bcast_Ph2 Children: 1061081 Core, 1062081 Perf. |
| Rel-19 | 5GB_CASMuting: no dedicated WI; carried as a topic under the generic TEI19 work item code |
| Rel-19 | Parent: 1060080 LTE_terr_bcast_bands_sub_108 Child: 1061080 Core |
Release 14: the FeMBMS baseline
Release 14 introduced Further enhanced MBMS (FeMBMS) under the RAN work item MBMS_LTE_enh2 (eMBMS enhancements for LTE, WI 710081; approved RAN#71; finish date 15 September 2017 in the 3GPP work plan of 28 September 2026), alongside the SA work item EnTV (WI 700032; finish date 9 June 2017 in the same work plan). The introducing CRs to TS 36.211 (CR 0331 rev1), TS 36.300 (CR 0974 rev1) and TS 36.331 (CR 2645 rev1) were approved at RAN#75 (March 2017). It is the foundation on which every later release builds. The defining change is the MBMS-dedicated cell, in which almost the whole carrier is given over to broadcast (up to about 97.5% of resources); the Release 14 description of the work item (TR 21.914 V14.0.0 clause 9.2.2) says that the MBMS-dedicated cell supports 100% MBSFN subframe allocation and that a periodic Cell Acquisition Subframe with 15 kHz numerology is specified for it. See Media delivery over 5G Broadcast: Specifications and its Technology page for the receiver-behaviour detail.
Physical layer (TS 36.211):
- A new numerology with extended cyclic prefix for large-area SFN (Single Frequency Network) deployment, 1.25 kHz SCS (about 200 microseconds CP; balanced performance at low-to-moderate mobility for larger inter-site distances than typical cellular ones, ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.13; designed to cover 15 km inter-site distance at a spectral efficiency of 2 bps/Hz with rooftop antennas, TR 21.914 V14.0.0 clause 9.2.2), and signalling for the numerology with 7.5 kHz SCS (about 33 microseconds CP, TR 21.914 V14.0.0 clause 9.2.2).
- The Cell Acquisition Subframe (CAS): one subframe (subframe #0) in each radio frame with SFN mod 4 == 0, that is once every 40 ms (TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 5.2.1.2), uses 15 kHz SCS, configured with either a normal or an extended cyclic prefix (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 6.4.2), and carries PSS, SSS, PBCH, PCFICH, PDCCH and PDSCH. The other subframes are MBSFN subframes available for PMCH. The bandwidth of the carrier is signalled in MIB-MBMS (
dl-Bandwidth-MBMS-r14: n6, n15, n25, n50, n75 or n100 PRB; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.2.2); a PMCH bandwidth of 30, 35 or 40 PRB can be indicated when the carrier bandwidth is 15 or 25 PRB (TS 36.300 V19.2.0 clause 5.1.1; see Release 17). - MBSFN reference-signal patterns (TS 36.211 clause 6.10.2.2) for 1.25 kHz and 7.5 kHz.
Physical layer procedures, scheduler and link adaptation (TS 36.213):
- Introduction of eMBMS enhancements for LTE in TS 36.213 (CR 0832 and CR 0833, RAN#75, March 2017). 256-QAM on the PMCH is not a Release 14 addition: it was already available from Release 12 (TS 36.211 change history, CR 0198 "Correction on 256QAM applicability to PMCH", RAN#67).
RRC (TS 36.331):
- MIB-MBMS (
MasterInformationBlock-MBMS-r14) replaces the legacy MIB and is carried on PBCH in CAS frames. - SIB1-MBMS (
SIB1-MBMS-r14) replaces the legacy SIB1 broadcast channel for MBMS-dedicated cells, carrying cell-access and MBMS scheduling information. - Shorter MCCH repetition and modification periods (down to one radio frame) via a v1430 extension to
MBSFN-AreaInfo, enabling faster system-information update cycles for broadcast.
Architecture (TS 36.300):
- The MBMS-dedicated cell mode allocates up to about 97.5% of carrier resources to broadcast (39 PMCH subframes plus 1 CAS subframe per 40 ms).
Release 16: LTE-based 5G Terrestrial Broadcast (normative)
The normative LTE_terr_bcast-Core work item (WI 830176; approved RAN#83, March 2019; finish date 13 December 2019 for this Core part, and 1 June 2020 for the parent work item WI 830076 and the Perf part, in the 3GPP work plan of 28 September 2026) is the point at which "LTE-based 5G Terrestrial Broadcast" becomes a defined 3GPP feature rather than a set of TV enhancements. The core CRs are TS 36.211 CR 0504 (R1-1913622, RAN#86, introduction), TS 36.213 CR 1294 (R1-1913624) and TS 36.331 CR 4190 (R2-2001740). TS 36.300 CR 1322 rev1 (R2-2010758, RAN#90) is a correction, titled "CP length and reference signal for MBSFN with sub-carrier spacing of 0.375 kHz and 2.5 kHz" (TS 36.300 V19.2.0 change history). TS 36.211 then received seven further correction CRs under the same work item: CR 0512 (RAN#87-e), CR 0521 (RAN#87-e, later merged into another CR), CR 0534 rev1 (RAN#88-e), CR 0539 (R1-2007190, RAN#89-e, PBCH repetition correction), CR 0540 (R1-2007191, RAN#89-e, MBSFN region correction), CR 0547 (R1-2009422, RAN#90-e) and CR 0548 (R1-2009423, RAN#90-e, corrected the 0.37 kHz useful-symbol length, 41472 to 82944 samples) and, later still, CR 0557 (RAN#92-e, "Correction for 0.37kHz SCS").
Physical layer (TS 36.211):
- Two further PMCH numerologies: 2.5 kHz SCS (about 100 microseconds CP, for mobile reception up to around 250 km/h) and 0.37 kHz SCS (about 300 microseconds CP, for very large high-power high-tower SFN areas with inter-site distances up to 125 km; the requirement is an inter-site distance greater than 100 km, ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.13). The 0.37 kHz numerology uses a 3 ms slot structure with two
timeSeparationreference-signal variants (sl2andsl4). - New MBSFN reference-signal patterns for the 2.5 kHz and 0.37 kHz numerologies (TS 36.211 clause 6.10.2.2).
- PDCCH Format 4 (aggregation level 16, 16 CCEs) for more robust control-channel reception in broadcast-only cells.
- PBCH repetition: the PBCH symbols are additionally mapped to further resource elements within the CAS (TS 36.211 V19.3.0 clause 6.6.4.1).
RRC (TS 36.331):
- A new
MBSFN-AreaInfo-r16structure carryingsubcarrierSpacingMBMS-r16(now including the 2.5 kHz and 0.37 kHz values) andtimeSeparation-r16. - An extended Receive-Only Mode (ROM) report:
MBMS-ROM-Info-r16adds the 2.5 kHz and 0.37 kHz subcarrier spacings and is carried in the MBMSInterestIndication message (UE to E-UTRAN; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.2.2). Receive-Only Mode itself is a Release 14 requirement (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 4.1); its RRC signalling (MBMS-ROM-Info-r15, for 15, 7.5 and 1.25 kHz) was added in Release 15 (TS 36.331 CR 3776 rev1, RAN#82). - A semi-static CFI field in MIB-MBMS (
semiStaticCFI-MBMS-r16).
Release 17: new channel bandwidths and Band 107
The work item (LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part1-Core, WI 911120) was approved at RAN#91-e (March 2021), adding PMCH channel bandwidths of 6, 7 and 8 MHz, because broadcast UHF spectrum is channelized typically in channels of 6/7/8 MHz, depending on the region (TR 21.917 V17.0.0 clause 14.2.1). The introducing CRs themselves were approved later, at RAN#94-e (December 2021) and RAN#95-e (March 2022): TS 36.211 CR 0564 (R1-2112926, RAN#94-e) and TS 36.213 CR 1406 (R1-2112905, RAN#94-e); then TS 36.300 CR 1360 (RAN#95-e), TS 36.306 CR 1836 rev1 (UE capabilities, RAN#95-e), TS 36.331 CR 4750 rev2 (RAN#95-e) and CR 4780 (UE capabilities, RAN#95-e), TS 36.443 CR 0131 rev1 (RAN3, RAN#95-e) and TR 36.976 CR 0001 (Release 17 enhancements to the informative summary, RAN#95-e). A much later clarification CR, TS 36.300 CR 1406 rev1 ("Clarification on UE/BS requirements for LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast"), was approved at RAN#105 (September 2024): three years after the feature's introduction.
- Three new PMCH channel bandwidths: 6 MHz (30 PRB), 7 MHz (35 PRB) and 8 MHz (40 PRB), signalled by the new
pmch-Bandwidth-r17field carried in SIB13. Its absence means the legacy LTE bandwidth applies. The eNB indicates a system bandwidth of 5 MHz (25 PRB) or 3 MHz (15 PRB) in the MIB, and indicates per MBSFN area whether the PMCH uses a larger bandwidth (TR 21.917 V17.0.0 clause 14.2.1). - Band 107 (612 to 652 MHz, UHF, downlink only; TS 36.101 V20.1.0 Table 5.5H-1) has no entry in the Release 17 version of TS 36.101 (V17.19.0, which has no Table 5.5H-1). Its band-table entry was written in Release 18 (CR 6016, target version 18.3.0; see below).
- TBS and PMCH resource-allocation tables updated for 30, 35 and 40 PRB.
Band 107's own receiver RF performance requirements (reference sensitivity, adjacent-channel selectivity, decoder BLER/SNR) were not finalised within Release 17 itself: as described below, they were completed later, together with Band 108's, under the Release 18 work item.
Release 18: Band 108 (UHF, receive-only)
Band 108 is formally standardised by the LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part2 work item (WI 920071; approved RAN#92-e, June 2021; the CR that introduced the bands, TS 36.101 CR 6016, was approved at RAN#101, September 2023). This is a spectrum-layer change only, with no new PMCH numerologies and no MAC or RRC changes.
- Band 108: frequency range 470 to 698 MHz (UHF, downlink only, receive-only), covering the full UHF broadcast band across ITU regions.
- Channelised operation within 470 to 698 MHz was addressed later through two subset bands, Bands 112 and 113, defined by a separate Release 19 work item whose work item description (RP-243268) was approved at RAN#106 (December 2024); see Release 19 below.
TS 36.101 support for this work item was built up across seven approved CRs, from September 2023 to June 2025. The change history of TS 36.101 labels CR 6039, CR 6106 and CR 6107 with LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part2-Core and CR 6044 (a feature-agnostic CR) with LTE_CA-Core and LTE_UAV_enh-Core; the other three carry no work-item label there:
| CR | Title | Meeting | Date | Target version |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6016 rev1 (R4-2314756) | Introduction of 5G broadcast UHF bands | RAN#101 | September 2023 | 18.3.0 |
| 6031 rev1 (R4-2403850) | Bracket removal (5G Broadcast) | RAN#103 | March 2024 | 18.5.0 |
| 6039 | Correction of EARFCN for bands 107 and 108 | RAN#103 | March 2024 | 18.5.0 |
| 6044 | Feature-agnostic approach implementation, Rel-18 | RAN#103 | March 2024 | 18.5.0 |
| 6067 rev1 (R4-2419893) | Adding missing performance requirements for 6/7/8 MHz channel bandwidths | RAN#106 | December 2024 | 18.8.0 |
| 6106 | Terminology alignment for LTE-based 5G terrestrial broadcast | RAN#108 | June 2025 | 18.10.0 |
| 6107 | Terminology alignment for the LTE based 5G terrestrial broadcast feature | RAN#108 | June 2025 | 19.2.0 |
TS 36.104's counterpart CR is CR 4979 rev1 (R4-2313909), approved alongside CR 6016.
The CR 6016 and 6039 titles ("Introduction of 5G broadcast UHF bands", plural, and "Correction of EARFCN for bands 107 and 108") indicate Band 107 and Band 108 share the same TS 36.101 band-table entries and were introduced and corrected together under this Release 18 work item, not under Release 17's. The substantive technical work was complete by CR 6067 (RAN#106, December 2024); the two remaining CRs (6106, 6107, RAN#108, June 2025) are terminology-only, with no functional change.
Release 19: PMCH Phase 2, CAS muting and new bands
Release 19 comprises four broadcast work items:
PMCH Phase 2 (LTE_terr_bcast_Ph2, WI 1060081, completed December 2025) adds time and frequency interleavers to the PMCH, with the corresponding signalling (TR 21.919 V19.0.0 clause 19.1). This is the broadest work item on this page: it introduced CRs across eight specifications (RAN1, RAN2 and RAN3), and several of those specifications received one or more follow-up correction CRs after the introducing CR, extending into 2026.
| Spec | Introducing CR | Meeting / date | Follow-up CRs | Latest meeting / date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TS 36.211 (PHY channels) | CR 0576 (R1-2505059) | RAN#108, June 2025 | CR 0580 (corrections), CR 0584 (corrections, "-Core"), CR 0586 (parameter-name alignment) | RAN#111, March 2026 |
| TS 36.212 (multiplexing/coding) | CR 0376 (R1-2504965) | RAN#108, June 2025 | CR 0379 (corrections), CR 0381 (RRC parameter-name alignment) | RAN#111, March 2026 |
| TS 36.213 (scheduler/link adaptation) | CR 1448 (R1-2504967) | RAN#108, June 2025 | CR 1459 (RRC parameter-name alignment) | RAN#111, March 2026 |
| TS 36.300 (overall description) | CR 1428 rev1 (R2-2506347) | RAN#109, September 2025 | - | - |
| TS 36.306 (UE radio access capabilities) | CR 1920 rev1 (R2-2506346) | RAN#109, September 2025 | CR 1934 rev2 (correction on the capability) | RAN#110, December 2025 |
| TS 36.321 (MAC) | CR 1593 rev2 (R2-2506348) | RAN#109, September 2025 | - | - |
| TS 36.331 (RRC) | CR 5143 rev1 (R2-2506344) | RAN#109, September 2025 | CR 5168 rev3 (post-ASN.1-review corrections), CR 5186 rev3 (notification-configuration clarification) | RAN#110, December 2025 |
| TS 36.443 (M2AP, eNB-MCE interface) | CR 0133 rev2 (R3-256051) | RAN#109, September 2025 | CR 0135 rev2 (time-interleaving parameter correction), CR 0137 rev2 (general correction) | RAN#110, December 2025 |
A companion RAN4 work item, LTE_terr_bcast_Ph2-Perf (WI 1062081), adds the receiver conformance-test side at TS 36.101: reference measurement channels and demodulation test cases for time-frequency interleaving (endorsed at RAN4#117 as CR 6129 and CR 6130), and a multi-path fading channel model with 50 Hz Doppler for the 1.25 kHz numerology (CR 6128). These were consolidated and approved as CR 6132 ("Big CR for LTE_terr_bcast_Ph2_demod", R4-2522723) at RAN#110, targeting v19.4.0.
The RAN#111 CRs (parameter-name alignment across TS 36.211/36.212/36.213) show the feature was still receiving corrections into 2026, after the work item's own December 2025 completion date; this is normal 3GPP maintenance behaviour, not a sign the feature is unstable.
- PMCH time interleaving (TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1, with the parameters
pmch-TimeInterleavingNandpmch-TimeInterleavingM): within a block of N times M MBSFN subframes, transport block m is sent in the MBSFN subframes m+n·M with redundancy version n, for n = 0 to N-1, and the transport block size is scaled by N. See Media delivery over 5G Broadcast: Specifications and its Technology page for the design background (NR TBoMS reuse, HARQ soft-combining). - PMCH cyclic shift (TS 36.211 V19.3.0 clause 6.5.1): the block of coded bits is cyclically shifted, with the shift set by
pmch-CyclicShiftAlpha(alpha1, alpha2 or alpha3). - PMCH frequency interleaving (TS 36.211 clause 6.5.2): block interleaving of PMCH resource elements in frequency for extra diversity.
- TBS scaling (TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1): when time interleaving is configured, the derived transport block size is scaled by N. The PMCH MCS tables 11.1-1 and 11.1-2 of the same clause are already in TS 36.213 V17.8.0; they apply when
timeSeperationis configured with the value 4, and Tables 7.1.7.1-1 and 7.1.7.1-1A apply otherwise. - Extended MCH scheduling periods (
mch-SchedulingPeriod-v1900: rf7 to rf424; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.3.7). - The Rel-19 PMCH parameters are carried in a new v1900 RRC extension group of
MBSFNAreaConfiguration. - MAC and M2AP impacts (TS 36.321, TS 36.443): the work item also touches the MAC layer and the M2 interface between the eNB and the Multi-cell/multicast Coordination Entity (MCE), which is how time-interleaving parameters reach the MCE-side scheduling function; these are not covered in the physical-layer bullets above.
CAS muting (5GB_CASMuting) reduces the transmission rate of synchronisation and broadcast channels in MBMS-dedicated cells: only the first frames of each period carry PSS, SSS and PBCH, and the rest are freed for PMCH. It is carried under the generic TEI19 (Technical Enhancements and Improvements for Release 19) work item code, a shared code 3GPP uses for a batch of unrelated small Release 19 additions, so 5GB_CASMuting itself has no dedicated work-item number. It is introduced by TS 36.211 CR 0577 (R1-2506644, RAN1#122, restricting PBCH/PSS/SSS transmission to the active CAS period) and TS 36.331 CR 5139 (a new SystemInformationBlockType1-MBMS-v1900 carrying cas-MutingConfig-r19), with a companion UE capability cas-Muting-5GB-r19 added to TS 36.306 clause 4.3.17.12 (CR 1916 rev1, R2-2506343, RAN WG2 Meeting #131, Bengaluru, 25-29 August 2025). A rapporteur-correction CR, TS 36.331 CR 5162 (R2-2508281, RAN2#132), later added a missing TS 36.211 clause 6.11.2.2 (SSS) reference and fixed an ASN.1 class-0 issue in the same IE. The muting window is defined by parameters K_CAS (4 to 63) and N_CAS (2, 4, 8 or 16): the first 4·K_CAS frames of every 16·N_CAS-frame period carry PSS/SSS/PBCH, arranged so that PBCH accumulation frames always fall in the active period and MIB decodability is preserved.
The LTE_terr_bcast_bands_sub_108-Core work item (WI 1061080, parent feature WI 1060080), active 2024-09-14 to 2025-06-06 and completed at RAN#108 (June 2025, final status report RP-251141), defines two further receive-only UHF broadcast bands for early national and regional deployment: Band 112 (470 to 608 MHz) and Band 113 (606 to 698 MHz), both downlink only and using the Release 17 6/7/8 MHz PMCH bandwidths (no new numerologies). Core CRs include TS 36.101 CR 6105 rev2 (R4-2508786) and TS 36.104 (R4-2508787). Standalone downlink-only (SDO) bands, including Bands 107, 108, 112 and 113, are release-independent from Release 17 (TS 36.307 V20.0.0 clause 3A, Table 3A.1-1; TS 36.307 CR 4511 "Release independence of SDO bands for 5G broadcast", RAN#108, target version 19.1.0). Per clause 3A, a UE supporting such a band fulfils the additional requirements specified in the annexes of TS 36.307 of the release in which the band was introduced.
The fourth work item is unrelated to the terrestrial bands above: LTE_band_5G_bcast_GSO (WI 1070064, parent; children WI 1071064 "Core" and WI 1072064 "Perf.", active 3 March 2025 to 3 March 2026) defines a new LTE band, Band 246 (1467 to 1492 MHz, downlink only), for 5G broadcast delivered over a geosynchronous satellite, for ITU Region 3 (Asia-Pacific). Unlike the terrestrial bands, this feature ("Broadcast Over GSO", BOG, per the CR titles) touches a distinct, satellite-specific set of specifications: TS 36.102 (UE radio transmission and reception for satellite access), TS 36.108 (Satellite Access Node radio transmission and reception), TS 36.181 (Satellite Access Node conformance testing) and TS 36.307 (requirements for UEs supporting a release-independent frequency band). The band was introduced by CR 0078 to TS 36.102 and CR 0036 to TS 36.108 (both RAN#109), with performance and conformance-test CRs following at RAN#111 and RAN#112 (TS 36.102 CR 0122/0134/0135, TS 36.108 CR 0046/0052/0054, TS 36.181 CR 0034, TS 36.307 CR 4514/4517).
SA4 service-layer work behind each release
The sections above cover the RAN specifications. The MBMS service layer that runs over the LTE-based 5G Broadcast bearer is specified by 3GPP SA4 in TS 26.346 (protocols and codecs), TS 26.347 (application programming interface and URL) and TS 26.348 (xMB northbound API, created in Release 16). The entries below are taken from the 3GPP release descriptions (TR 21.914 to TR 21.919) and, where marked, from the change history of the specification. Work items for 5G Media Streaming over eMBMS are in Media Streaming and Advanced Media Delivery: Release history.
| Release | Work item | What it adds | Specifications | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rel-14 | TRAPI (700054) | The new TS 26.347: APIs that let MBMS-aware applications use the MBMS Client in the UE to access MBMS User Services defined in TS 26.346, and a URL scheme to access resources available as part of an MBMS User Service | TS 26.347, TS 26.346 | TR 21.914 clause 9.2.1 |
| Rel-15 | SAND4M (770021) | A SAND mode for multiple network access in 3GP-DASH; consistent support of hybrid MBMS services, including unicast-supplemented services; the MBMS client and DASH client interface | TS 26.247, TS 26.346, TS 26.347, TR 26.946 | TR 21.915 clause 12.5.3 |
| Rel-15 | HDR (770023) | High Dynamic Range TV video profile (Perceptual Quantizer, ITU-R BT.2100), with the media capabilities enabled in MBMS | TS 26.116, TS 26.346 | TR 21.915 clause 12.4.2 |
| Rel-15 | VRStream (770025) | Virtual Reality profiles for streaming; for MBMS the Basic and Main video profiles are added | TS 26.118, TS 26.346 | TR 21.915 clause 12.4.3 |
| Rel-15 | FRASE (790020) | Forward Error Correction and Robust Header Compression for MBMS traffic using the group communication or transport delivery method, configured through MB2 and xMB | TS 26.346 | TR 21.915 clause 12.4.4 |
| Rel-16 | CAPIF4xMB (790019) | The xMB stage 2 architecture and procedures moved from TS 26.346 into the new TS 26.348, with extensions for the Common API Framework | TS 26.348, TS 26.346 | TR 21.916 clause 9.1 |
| Rel-16 | MC_XMB (810004) | xMB extensions for mission critical file distribution: QoS management, target geographical area, TMGI exposure; a "self-contained" service announcement mode in TS 26.346 | TS 26.348, TS 26.346 | TR 21.916 clause 12.4.1 |
| Rel-16 | SerInter (770020) | Service interactivity signalling and reporting for DASH-over-MBMS services | TS 26.346, TS 26.347, TS 26.247 | TR 21.916 clause 20.1 |
| Rel-16 | (not named in the TR) | Support of HLS and hybrid DASH/HLS services over MBMS (TS 26.346 CR 0631, SA#87-e); a "Feature Request for 5G Broadcast" (TS 26.346 CR 0656, SA#90-e, V16.7.0) | TS 26.346, TS 26.347, TS 26.348 | TS 26.346 V19.3.0 change history |
| Rel-17 | 5MBP3 (940008) | Extensions to support 5G Media Streaming via eMBMS; stage 3 for MBS distribution methods reuses the MBMS download and transparent delivery methods | TS 26.346, TS 26.347, TS 26.348, TS 26.512, TS 26.517 | TR 21.917 clause 6.3.4.3.3 |
| Rel-17 | 5MBUSA (920010) | Architecture for 5GMS-based downlink streaming deployed as an MBMS-Aware Application on eMBMS, with procedures for exclusive eMBMS delivery, consumption and metrics reporting, hybrid delivery and dynamic provisioning | TS 26.501, TS 26.502 | TR 21.917 clause 6.3.4.5 |
| Rel-17 | 8K_TV_5G (920011) | 8K TV operation points for the TV video profiles | TS 26.116, TS 26.511 | TR 21.917 clause 15.2 |
| Rel-17 | TEI17, AE_enTV-S4 | "Support of ETSI TS 103 720 second version" (TS 26.346 CR 0668, SA#99, V17.3.0) | TS 26.346 | TS 26.346 V19.3.0 change history |
| Rel-18 | (not named in the TR) | "HTTP Media Delivery Service URL for MBMS" (TS 26.347 CR 0017, SA#104, V18.1.0) | TS 26.347 | TS 26.347 V19.0.0 change history |
| Rel-19 | AMD_PRO-MED (1070057) | In-session unicast repair for MBMS object distribution (TS 26.346 CR 0677, SA#109, V19.2.0); improved time synchronisation for MBMS (TS 26.346 CR 0672, SA#107, V19.0.0) | TS 26.346, TS 26.502, TS 26.517 | TR 21.919 clause 11.6; TS 26.346 V19.3.0 change history |
| Rel-19 | AMD-ARCH-MED (1060069) | Deployment guidelines for operating MBS User Services over eMBMS, to support potential 5G Broadcast deployments; SIB9-based and user-domain time services | TS 26.502 | TR 21.919 clause 11.6 |
TR 21.919 lists the item DTT4MBS (970043, Interworking of Non-3GPP Digital Terrestrial Broadcast Networks with 5GS Multicast Broadcast Services, SA1) without a summary (clause 25.5.1, clause 29.2). TR 21.918 gives no summary for LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part2 ("No summary provided for spectrum related Core parts", clause 12.4), and TR 21.919 none for LTE_terr_bcast_bands_sub_108 (clause 19.3.1).
Further release description clauses for the RAN work items above: MBMS_LTE_enh2, TR 21.914 clause 9.2.2; LTE_terr_bcast, TR 21.916 clause 19.3.1; LTE_terr_bcast_bands_part1, TR 21.917 clause 14.2.1; LTE_terr_bcast_Ph2, TR 21.919 clause 19.1; LTE_band_5G_bcast_GSO, TR 21.919 clause 5.4.1 (UE RF requirements for a 10 MHz PMCH in TS 36.102 and Satellite Access Node requirements in TS 36.108).
Release 20 (work plan of 28 September 2026)
TR 21.920 is not yet available. The 3GPP work plan of 28 September 2026 lists one Release 20 work item for LTE-based 5G Broadcast, in RAN WG4:
- LTE_band_246_5G_bcast_GSO_BWs (Unique_ID 1110101): "Adding new channel bandwidths for LTE band 246 for 5G broadcast for region 3 utilizing geosynchronous satellite", with the parts LTE_band_246_5G_bcast_GSO_BWs-Core (1111101) and LTE_band_246_5G_bcast_GSO_BWs-Perf (1112101). Its WID is RP-261671 (the work plan records the change from RP-261484 on 28 September 2026). It continues the Release 19 item LTE_band_5G_bcast_GSO described above.
- Specifications: the work plan row lists none. The change histories show two change requests, both from RAN#113 (RP-261792): CR 0147 r1 to TS 36.102 V20.0.0, "Introduction of 3MHz and 5MHz channel bandwidths for LTE-based 5G Broadcast operation in band 246", and CR 0059 r1 to TS 36.108 V20.0.0, "Adding new channel bandwidths for LTE band 246 for 5G broadcast for region 3 utilizing, Rel-20".
The work plan lists no Release 20 item for TS 26.346 or TS 26.347.
Related
- Media delivery over 5G Multicast Broadcast Services: Specifications
- Media delivery over 5G Broadcast: Technology
- Media delivery over 5G Multicast Broadcast Services: Release history
- Non-Terrestrial Networks in 5G Systems: Specifications
- Standardisation: how 5G-MAG processes feedback on the specifications it maintains and tracks