The development of digital terrestrial television delivery systems

Background

The universality principle of delivering linear services free to air to all audiences, everywhere and at any time, lies at the core of the Public Service Media (PSM) remit. The way in which the content and services of PSM organizations are delivered is evolving, driven by the improved performance, spectral efficiency, and popularity of personal devices such as smartphones and tablets for accessing audiovisual media. Next-generation terrestrial delivery systems seek to reconcile these trends, and this Workshop presents four such developments.

Revisions to Recommendation ITU-R BT.1877, which defines error-correction, data framing, modulation and emission methods for the second generation of digital terrestrial television broadcasting (DTTB) transmission systems, were approved in June 2026. The revised Recommendation includes the Integrated Services Digital Broadcasting-T3 (ISDB-T3) as a second-generation DTTB system. ISDB-T3 is designed to improve the performance, flexibility, functionality, and spectral efficiency of the conventional first-generation DTTB systems. ISDB-T3 adopts advanced modulation, hierarchical transmission, low-density parity-check (LDPC) code, multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), channel bonding, and IP transport, to support multiple ultra-high-definition/high-definition television and multimedia services in high quality with flexible configuration for fixed/mobile reception for large area coverage.

The terrestrial multimedia mobile broadcasting System L described in Recommendation ITU-R BT.2016 (“5G Broadcast”), as a profile of existing 3GPP specifications, is part of a global ecosystem that can be implemented in devices and mobile handsets based on 3GPP technologies. Reports ITU-R BT.2549 and BT.2544 present information on the network and frequency planning of 5G Broadcast networks (System L), respectively.

Brazil’s TV 3.0 (DTV+) the next-generation digital terrestrial television system project began in 2020, with the technical standards completed in 2026. The project is now advancing from specification development to implementation, providing valuable insights into how a next-generation broadcasting platform can integrate broadcast delivery, broadband connectivity and software-based services within a single standardized architecture.

The United Kingdom provides an example of a strategic approach to the transition from DTT to full-IP media delivery and activities in Digital Video Broadcasting – Internet (DVB-I), which are included in ITU-R Recommendations.

Main Workshop objectives:

Presentation of:

ISDB-T3

Overview of ISDB-T3
Video codec and audio codec of ISDB-T3
Transmission of ISDB

5G Broadcast

5G Broadcast Horizons for Europe: European market, use cases and introduction scenarios
5G Broadcast – a concrete deployment project in France

TV 3.0

New perspectives and updates, including the implementation journey, the FIFA World Cup case, and the public communication platform

The United Kingdom’s strategic approach

The transition to full IP media delivery
DTG’s technical leadership in DVB-I standardization

Remote participation is open to all and does not require registration. Join via the ITU Public Virtual Events portal. The virtual room opens 30 minutes before the workshop begins. In-person attendance is limited to registered ITU-R Study Group 6 meeting participants.