EBU and Rai Go for Big Air with 5G Broadcast Trials at Milano Cortina
•February 9, 2026
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Why It Matters
The trials prove a scalable, resilient delivery method for live events and could reshape broadcast strategies and emergency communications worldwide.
Key Takeaways
- •Rai, EBU test 5G broadcast at 2026 Olympics.
- •Combines 5G with terrestrial TV for unlimited viewers.
- •Trials target smartphones, free-to-air delivery via towers.
- •Focus on reception, robustness in Rome, Turin regions.
- •Aims to set interoperable standard for broadcasters.
Pulse Analysis
The successful 5G Broadcast showcase at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games proved that mobile‑grade spectrum can be repurposed for mass‑scale, free‑to‑air video distribution. By leveraging the same physical layer used for traditional broadcast, the technology sidesteps the capacity limits of cellular unicast, delivering identical streams to any compatible handset without adding traffic to the core network. Industry analysts note that this hybrid approach bridges the gap between legacy transmitters and next‑generation broadband, opening a pathway for broadcasters to reach audiences wherever they are, even in high‑density venues.
For Milano Cortina 2026, Rai and the European Broadcasting Union are extending that proof‑of‑concept into a pre‑commercial trial that relies on existing tower infrastructure across the Rome and Turin metropolitan areas. The experiment will stream live Olympic events directly to smartphones, tablets and other 5G‑enabled devices, measuring signal strength, latency, and user experience under the intense demand of a global sports spectacle. By combining terrestrial transmitters with 5G broadcast carriers, the partners aim to demonstrate unlimited user scalability while preserving the robustness of traditional over‑the‑air delivery.
The implications reach far beyond sports. A standardized 5G Broadcast ecosystem could become a cornerstone for emergency alerts, delivering critical information to every device without overloading cellular networks. Moreover, the trial encourages chipset manufacturers, handset makers, and network operators to align on a common protocol, accelerating commercial roll‑outs and reducing fragmentation. As broadcasters seek resilient, cost‑effective ways to augment OTT services, the success of these trials may redefine distribution strategies, positioning 5G Broadcast as a viable complement to both linear TV and streaming platforms.
EBU and Rai go for big air with 5G Broadcast trials at Milano Cortina
After successfully demonstrating the technology during the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Italian public service broadcaster Rai is collaborating with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to conduct further 5G broadcast trials during the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.
The latest pre-commercial trials focus on leveraging tower infrastructure to expand live, free-to-air delivery across smartphones and other devices, especially in demanding situations such as live sports coverage.
Combining 5G with traditional terrestrial broadcasting, 5G Broadcast enables delivery of content to an unlimited number of users without congesting existing networks, achieving a high level of geographic coverage across a multiplicity of devices, said the partners.
During the Games, reception, service robustness and user experiences in the Rome and Turin metropolitan regions will be assessed to explore how broadcasters could integrate 5G into hybrid distribution strategies.
“Major events like the Olympics are the ultimate stress-test for new distribution technologies,” said Gino Alberico, director of the Rai-Centre for Research and Innovation. “With 5G Broadcast we can bring live content directly to compatible devices with broadcast efficiency—opening the door to better coverage, improved resilience, and new ways to reach audiences on the move.”
Antonio Arcidiacono, CTO at the EBU, added, “Paris 2024 showed that 5G Broadcast can move beyond the lab, with demonstrations on hundreds of consumer devices. Milano Cortina 2026 is another important step: validating performance in a real operative environment, helping align the ecosystem, from broadcasters and network operators to chipset and handset manufacturers, around a shared, interoperable standard that can deliver live content day after day and simultaneously increase resilience in case of emergencies.”
The post EBU and Rai go for big air with 5G Broadcast trials at Milano Cortina appeared first on TVBEurope.
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