According to an official statement from OIV Digital Signals and Networks, its board’s decision to begin testing for 5G broadcasting is a strategic project aimed at gaining new knowledge and experience.

In collaboration with broadcasting equipment manufacturers, mobile network operators, publishers and regulators, it plans to install equipment at OIV locations in Sljeme and Sveta Nedjelja. Furthermore, OIV has received the necessary authorization from the Croatian Regulatory Authority for Network Industries (HAKOM) for the use of UHF (ultra-high frequency) channels covering the City of Zagreb and Zagreb County.

Following the installation and commissioning of equipment, measurements of various indicators, variations of transmitter parameters and the required reception levels for various types of reception on fixed, mobile or portable devices will be carried out in both urban and rural areas.

OIV concludes by predicting that mobile phones capable of receiving 5G broadcast services will be available in the near future. Experts estimate that 5G Broadcast – a new standard that would allow watching television over a 5G network – will start around 2025, however, it is unlikely to be widespread before 2030. But even then, it is unclear whether there will be many blind spots. as was the case with mobile communications. There are no end devices which users can use to receive 5G signal as of yet, so especially designed prototypes must be used in the tests.