5G broadcast is a terrestrial broadcast technology that makes it possible to receive free TV, simply and without an internet connection, on your smartphone, just like DTT on a TV set.
5G Broadcast is a broadcast technology from the mobile telephony technical ecosystem, standardized by 3GPP.
As an integral part of 5G technology, it is compatible with smartphones without any specific hardware, since the most common chipsets already implement it in the same way as the rest of the standard.
The technology operates in the UHF band, i.e. on the same frequencies as DTT, whose infrastructure it can use.
This technology is particularly well-suited to mobile use: outdoor, vehicular and light indoor. It complements conventional DTT broadcasting via fixed reception in homes.
5G Broadcast can easily be combined with OTT (Over-The-Top) streaming on WiFi and cellular networks (4G/5G) to ensure continuity of coverage indoors and enrich the on-demand service offering.
5G Broadcast is a promising technology, particularly interesting at a time when media sovereignty is a key issue for many countries.
In France, it is envisaged as an additional DTT reception mode, enabling channels to reach younger audiences in particular.
TDF has been experimenting with 5G Broadcast for a number of years, and was notably the driving force behind the large-scale experiment conducted during the summer 2024 sporting events.
From April to June 2025, workshops bringing together the main French TV players and publishers were held, focusing on the technical, economic and regulatory arrangements for the rollout of 5G Broadcast in France.
A white paper summarizes the work of these workshops.
