Rohde & Schwarz 5G Broadcast solutions target terrestrial and satellite efficiency

The shift toward software-defined terrestrial transmission allows operators to pivot between 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0 without wholesale hardware replacements. By integrating datacasting and PNT capabilities, broadcasters can move beyond traditional linear video into high-margin data delivery services. For satellite operators, the transition to solid-state amplifiers like the R&S PKU100 addresses the critical need for higher reliability and lower power consumption in ground-to-space links. This modernization is essential as the industry faces increasing pressure to improve operational sustainability while managing fragmented delivery standards. Watch for adoption rates of these hybrid platforms among Tier 1 network operators at the RAI Amsterdam exhibition.

Rohde & Schwarz is positioning its 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0 portfolio within a broader industry push toward software-defined broadcast infrastructure. At IBC 2025, the company demonstrated its 5G Broadcast transmitter platform alongside partners including Qualcomm and MediaTek, signaling a multi-vendor ecosystem approach to the standard. The 3GPP Release 16 specification that underpins 5G Broadcast has attracted limited commercial deployment globally, with Germany's MDR and BR public broadcasters running pilot transmissions from the Wendelstein and Leipzig towers since 2023. Rohde & Schwarz has been the primary transmitter supplier for those trials, giving the company a first-mover position in European 5G Broadcast infrastructure.

On the regulatory and business front, the transition from DVB-T2 to next-generation terrestrial standards remains uneven across markets. The European Broadcasting Union published guidance in early 2025 urging member states to coordinate spectrum planning for 5G Broadcast alongside existing DTT services, noting that the 470-694 MHz band faces competing claims from mobile operators. In the United States, the FCC's ATSC 3.0 voluntary transition framework continues to require broadcasters to maintain a simulcast of their primary channel in ATSC 1.0, a constraint that the National Association of Broadcasters has lobbied Congress to relax through the ATSC 3.0 Transition Act. Rohde & Schwarz's dual-standard approach, supporting both 5G Broadcast and ATSC 3.0 on shared hardware, directly addresses the fragmentation problem that regulators and broadcasters face when planning next-generation terrestrial rollouts.

Technically, the R&S PKU100 Ku-band amplifier represents part of a wider industry shift from traveling-wave tube amplifiers to solid-state power amplifiers in satellite uplink chains. Rohde & Schwarz reported in its 2025 fiscal year results that its broadcast and media division grew revenue by 8% year over year, driven partly by demand for solid-state satellite transmission equipment. Competitors in the solid-state uplink amplifier space include CPI, which launched its Gen IV Ku-band SSPA line targeting 400W output for gateway uplinks, and NXP, whose LDMOS-based reference designs have been adopted by several OEM integrators. The PKU100's positioning as a drop-in replacement for legacy TWTAs aligns with satellite operators' stated preference for incremental upgrades rather than full ground-station rebuilds, a trend that Euroconsult identified in its 2025 ground segment market report as a key driver of SSPA adoption.