5G-SOLUTIONS and 5G-VINNI: Trial on Ultra-High Fidelity Media

Rapid progress in display and capture technologies is enabling a new, highly immersive production and viewing experience with ultra-crisp, wide-view pictures with deep contrast and multi-channel sound. Both linear and non-linear content will be used for testing the Ultra High-Fidelity Media (UHFM) experience. To guarantee a high quality of experience for UHFM, 5G network should be able to support efficient network management, fair resource allocation, high speed transport capabilities and strategies. UC involves media streaming to devices using a variety of applications supported by the partners under different network configurations.

Overview of the 5G-SOLUTIONS and 5G-VINNI Trial on Ultra-High Fidelity Media 

This trial focused on measuring the latency and throughput in a wide range of experiments using cashing services offered by the 5G-VINNI testbed. It also had the goal of testing the unicast distribution of linear content to concurrent users stressing 5G radio and network capabilities. It showcased the  potential of distributing UHFM over emerging 5G. while defining a set of comprehensive scenarios able to provide meaningful outcomes with a view to analysing technological, application and business aspects. Specifically, streaming content services provided by Forthnet in various formats to available 5G devices using the UOP 5G-VINNI testbed. The trial used the 5G facility in Patras (University of Patras; UoP) deployed by 5G-VINNI.

Taking place in September 2020, the trial successfully demonstrated that a 5G network can support a latency-critical use case by leveraging on a Media infrastructure based on 5G Equipment, while also testing streaming with multiple rates (up to 50MBPs) measuring performance KPIs (latency, frames lost, throughput, etc.) and use experience. It aimed to: verify that caching of content improves downlink speed and latency.; assess network management and orchestration strategies and evaluate unicast distribution of TV services under a Service Level Agreement. 

The 5G-SOLUTIONS media application and equipment were deployed in the UoP testbed imitating a commercial deployment to measure 5G performance KPIs and user experience. VNFs were implemented to control transmission parameters with a flavour of the evaluation of such services. To test the potential of distributing UHFM over emerging 5G networks, Forthnet provided content and services to the 5G-SOLUTIONS UOP 5G-VINNI testbed. In addition, Forthnet defined a set of comprehensive scenarios able to provide meaningful outcomes to analyse technological, application and business aspects. Specifically, streaming content services provided by Forthnet in various formats to available 5G devices using UOP 5G-VINNI testbed.

Deployments of test equipment and development of the necessary VNFs/PNFs was made in collaboration between Forthnet transmission, UoP testbed, NOKIA CDSO (Cross Domain Service Orchestrator) and visualisation system engineers.

5G Key Performance Indicators

CDSO is used to control the VNF to set the experiment parameters. The approach is stepwise towards both service/infrastructure deployment and KPI measurements to align the testbed, CDSO and visualisation system implementations. Key KPI targets revolve around latency and throughput.

• Latency: Measure end-to-end Latency. Target: <20ms.
• Throughput: Measure Throughput per Device. Target: Up to 50 Mbps. 

Leveraging the definition of 5G Media Slice from New Media Europe (NEM), KPIs for Low latency service with high reconfigurability and heterogeneity of the network and live events include:

Latency: Dynamic and flexible UHD content distribution scenario that support the applicability of pure adaptive streaming protocols such as DASH, in which a DASH streaming service can be constructed by not having as many descriptions per segment as allowed qualities but rather being based on scalable coding techniques that can allow exploitation of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) techniques.

• Experience data rate: 4K (2160/60/P): 30~40 Mb/s; 8K (4320/60/P): 80~100 Mb/s; HD H.265/HEVC: ~10 Mb/s.
• Application Latency: 20ms.
• Reliability (IP packet within latency bound): Critical.
• Devices: Up to 100/km².
• Broadcast/multicast: Yes.
• Battery: Important.
• Coverage: Important. 
• Interwork/Roaming: Not needed. 
• Security: Critical (identity, authentication, data integrity, privacy).
• Positioning: Not needed.
• External dependencies: Digital rights management. 

Live events: AV production for live event experiences with guaranteed QoS (data rate, latency, reliability, etc.). On site live events can be classified into scheduled (e.g. sport matches, music concerts, festivals) and unpredictable/unexpected events (e.g. live news, emergency support, among others. 

• Experience data rate: Up to 500 kbit/s per UE in UL. Up to 1 Mbit/s per UE in DL.
• Application Latency: 750 ms (E2E latency).
• Reliability (IP packet within latency bound): Critical.
• Devices: Up to 100/km².
• Broadcast/multicast: Yes.
• Battery: Important.
• Coverage: Important. 
• Interwork/Roaming: Needed. 
• Security: Critical (identity, authentication, data integrity, privacy).
• Positioning: Location data (30 cm – 1m) could help create new experiences utilising location information. Indoor positioning may also be useful.
• External dependencies: Digital rights management. 

5G Empowerment

On top of the stringent technical KPIs (e.g. latency, density, etc.) 5G provides architectural capabilities that enable advanced content distribution services. A key 5G unique feature is network slicing, which is a mechanism that allows operators to create virtual networks dedicated to a specific service, use case or customer over a common physical network infrastructure is a potentially key 5G capability. Network slicing is a very attractive tool in operators’ quest to address the different needs of enterprise customers. Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC), an approach that deploys computation and storage resources closer to the edge of the network, will provide lower latency capabilities. Virtualization, which was already in progress, will accelerate with 5G. The 5G Core Network will be fully virtualized to support faster service provisioning and enhanced network maintenance.

Use Case Data Summary

Location: Patras, Greece

Date: September 2020

Partners involved: CTTC (Spain), Forthnet Media SA-NOVA (Greece); LiveU (USA); University of Patras (Greece), 

EC funding reference: H2020-ICT-2018-3; ICT-19-2019 - Advanced 5G validation trials across multiple vertical industries.

Funding cycle: June 2019-November 2022.

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