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5G Broadcast - Operational Parameters in Use
This page documents the operational parameters observed in live and trial 5G Broadcast (LTE-based evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service, eMBMS) deployments and as configured in 5G-MAG reference tool implementations. Where Deployment Profiles lists the capabilities a receiver is required to support, this page records the concrete values seen in practice; read the two together.
Terms used in the tables below: MBSFN (Multicast-Broadcast Single Frequency Network); MCCH (Multicast Control Channel); MTCH (Multicast Traffic Channel); Extended CP (Extended Cyclic Prefix, a longer guard interval used to tolerate the larger signal delays of single-frequency-network operation); SFN (Single Frequency Network); MCS (Modulation and Coding Scheme) (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 3.3; TS 36.300 V19.2.0 clause 3.2).
Key Parameters
Subframe Configuration
| Parameter | Typical Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| MBSFN Subframe Ratio | 6 out of 8 | Used in dedicated broadcast mode |
| Cyclic Prefix | Extended CP | Required for SFN deployments. PMCH cyclic prefix is 16.6 microseconds (15 kHz) to 300 microseconds (0.37 kHz), by numerology (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 table 6.4.4-1; TS 36.211 V19.3.0 table 6.12-1) |
| Subcarrier Spacing (CAS) | 15 kHz | Standard LTE numerology; used in the Cell Acquisition Subframe (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 6.4.2) |
| Subcarrier Spacing (PMCH) | 1.25 / 2.5 / 7.5 / 0.37 kHz (15 kHz also defined) | FeMBMS numerology chosen per inter-site distance, coverage and mobility target (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 table 6.4.4-1; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.13) |
The Cell Acquisition Subframe (CAS) always uses 15 kHz SCS with a normal or extended cyclic prefix; for 6, 7 and 8 MHz PMCH bandwidths it occupies a narrow 15 or 25 PRB (3 or 5 MHz), a receiver acquires on the narrowband CAS and the SIBs then signal the wider PMCH bandwidth (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 6.4.2; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 7.3.2; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.5.4). The CAS is transmitted with a 40 ms periodicity (MIB-MBMS in subframe 0 of radio frames with SFN mod 4 == 0) (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 6.4.2; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 5.2.1.2). The PMCH numerology is at the discretion of the service provider: 1.25 kHz for larger-than-cellular inter-site distances at low-to-moderate mobility, 2.5 kHz for mobile reception (up to around 250 km/h), and 0.37 kHz for the largest SFN areas (inter-site distance up to 125 km) (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.13; TR 36.976 V19.0.0 clause 4.2).
Channel Bandwidth
| Parameter | Typical Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PMCH bandwidth (TR 36.976 V19.0.0 clause 4.3; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.3.7; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.3.1; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 7.3.2) | 6 / 7 / 8 MHz (30 / 35 / 40 PRB) | UHF broadcast bandwidths added in 3GPP Rel-17, signalled by pmch-Bandwidth-r17 in SIB13 |
| Legacy LTE bandwidth (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 8; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.2.2; TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1) | up to 20 MHz | Applies when pmch-Bandwidth-r17 is absent |
The 6/7/8 MHz PMCH bandwidths align with the UHF broadcast channel rasters used across ITU Regions 1, 2 and 3. When pmch-Bandwidth-r17 is not present, the legacy LTE bandwidth carried in MIB-MBMS applies (TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1; TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.2.2).
Modulation and Coding
| Parameter | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Modulation (TS 36.211 V19.3.0 table 6.3.2-1; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 11.3.1) | QPSK, 16-QAM, 64-QAM | Depends on coverage target |
| Modulation (higher-order) | up to 256-QAM | Available on PMCH since Rel-12, selected via TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1 (Table 7.1.7.1-1A, or Table 11.1-2 when timeSeparation is 4) (TS 36.213 V19.5.0 table 7.1.7.1-1A; TS 36.213 V19.5.0 clause 11.1; TS 36.211 V19.3.0 annex A) |
| Code Rate | Variable | Configured per PMCH (dataMCS), which carries one or more MTCHs (TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.3.7; TS 36.300 V19.2.0 clause 15.3.3) |
| MCCH Period | 80 ms | Typical MBSFN area |
MCS values are configured per PMCH (dataMCS), so a single carrier can carry several services at different robustness/throughput points (TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 6.3.7; TS 36.300 V19.2.0 clause 15.3.3). The MCCH is re-read at each modification-period boundary so the receiver picks up any TX-side configuration change (TS 36.331 V19.4.0 clause 5.8.1.3).
SFN Synchronisation
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Timing Advance Guard | Depends on SFN radius |
| Maximum inter-site distance | up to 125 km (0.37 kHz numerology) (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 5.13; TR 36.976 V19.0.0 clause 4.2) |
| GPS Synchronisation | Required for SFN alignment |
Frequency Bands
Bands in active use for LTE-based 5G Broadcast deployments:
- Band 8 (900 MHz): Used for wide-area rural coverage
- Band 28 (700 MHz): Primary band for broadcast in several markets
- Band 107 (UHF, 612 to 652 MHz): Receive-only broadcast band, first defined in the Release 18 version of 3GPP TS 36.101 and made release-independent from Release 17 via TS 36.307
- Band 108 (UHF, 470 to 698 MHz): Receive-only broadcast band added alongside Band 107 in 3GPP Release 18 (TS 36.101 V20.1.0 table 5.5H-1; TS 36.101 V20.1.0 annex J)
- Bands 112 and 113 (UHF, 470 to 608 MHz and 606 to 698 MHz): Receive-only broadcast bands added in 3GPP Release 19, release-independent from Release 17 (TS 36.101 V20.1.0 table 5.5H-1; TS 36.101 V20.1.0 annex J; TS 36.307 V20.0.0 clause 3A)
All four bands are defined as standalone downlink-only (SDO) bands in Table 5.5H-1 of 3GPP TS 36.101. The published ETSI TS 103 720 v1.2.1 does not yet include specific frequency bands; its clause 8 (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 8) expects band details in a future revision (TS 36.101 V20.1.0 table 5.5H-1; ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 8).
Receiver Profiles
ETSI TS 103 720 defines receiver categories (Base, Main, 5GMS and Emergency Alerts; see Deployment Profiles for the Feature Value table) (ETSI TS 103 720 V1.2.1 clause 10). In 5G-MAG's deployment work the following receiver profiles are used:
- Profile A (RAN-only): Receive-Only Mode using FeMBMS physical layer only. Typical of a dedicated broadcast receiver with no cellular return path, for example a TV set, a set-top box, or an in-car broadcast tuner.
- Profile B (Full): Full LTE UE supporting both unicast and broadcast modes. Typical of a smartphone or connected tablet that can both stream over cellular and receive broadcast.
References
- ETSI TS 103 720: 5G Broadcast System for linear TV and radio services
- 5G Broadcast Deployment Profiles
- Standards: 5G Broadcast - TV and Radio Services
Sources
The band frequency ranges and release attributions above are from 3GPP TS 36.101 (Table 5.5H-1), TS 36.307 and ETSI TS 103 720 v1.2.1. The subframe, bandwidth, modulation and SFN parameter values are those observed in member deployments and reference tool configurations.