Signal Transport: IP, 5G, RF, and Bonded Cellular

There are more options than ever for getting a signal from point A to point B (and even C, D, and E) and transport technologies continue to evolve rapidly. Signal transport service and technology providers discuss some of the latest developments that can make a difference to your production.

Speakers:

Janel Fleming, LiveU, Director of Sales and Sales Group Manager, Sports

Jim Jachetta, VidOvation, CTO and Co-Founder

Peter Larsson, BSI, President

Moderator:

Ken Kerschbaumer, SVG, Co-Executive Director, Editorial Services

Video Recording:

Learn more about At-Home Production (REMI) using Cellular & the Public Internet

Transcript:

Ken Kerschbaumer (00:00):

Peter, Jim, Janel, good to see you all. How are you all doing? How are you holding up?

Janel Fleming (00:04):

Good.

Peter Larsson (00:05): We're good.

Ken Kerschbaumer (00:05):

Okay. I think it's day 654 of the COVID pandemic. It says we laugh now until comes that way, the three months, five months. Anyway, good to see you all. Our goal here is to talk about some of the trends in transport technologies. Peter, I'm going to start with you because you are a hall of fame when it comes to transport technologies with the work you've done with wireless cameras over the years. And I want to kind of start with you as far as an overview of RF and then what you see some of the challenges, because obviously the spectrum situation, not getting any better out there. So kind of give us an update on where things stand right now.

Peter Larsson (00:43):

Well, the way I've always looked at the RF environment that we work in that there are effectively three different levels. There is a single RF camera that can be used for a new story or a sporting event. Then there could be two or three cameras. And then you get to some of the bigger car races or golf where you have 40 systems. And they both take different technologies. A lot of the LiveU or the bonded cellular systems are incredible for the single-camera situations specifically for news and somehow the sporting events. It's when we start getting up into those 40 plus cameras for the golf and car racing, and then we start running into issues. And unfortunately, although we think our marketplace is the most important one, and the world and the biggest one in the world is actually the cell phone systems that dwarf us.

Peter Larsson (01:40):

They have all the money in and they're coming in and buying up all the spectrum. So, as we try to find more spectrum to do what we need to do, we're finding that we have to go higher and higher and higher in spectrum. And one of the issues with that is that now, where you might've gotten away with one or two receive sites if you're down in the lower spectrum, as you get high, you have to put more and more receive sites out there. So, the available money is going down, but the cost of operating is going up. And that is about the biggest issue we face at the moment. One of the bigger ones also is for wireless microphones. With the repacking of the TV stations, a lot of the UHF spectrum is going away. I know the SVG is working with the FCC as well to try and come up with solutions. But again, we are a small little player in that marketplace as opposed to the cell phone companies.

Ken Kerschbaumer (02:41):

Yeah. Yeah, I know that there have been some recent filings from Shure and Sennheiser on the wireless microphone funds and we will be getting involved with those to helping support that as best we can.

Peter Larsson (02:51):

It's all good.

Ken Kerschbaumer (02:53):

So then what's the long-term implication? It is going to just get more complicated and more difficult? Is there a bigger threat here at all, potentially longterm?

Peter Larsson (03:03):

There are ways out of it but they all cost money, which is the problem. So, yeah, as the technology is becoming more important or as digital technology is maturing...