TDF, operator of France’s Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) network, is entering a new phase of its large-scale 5G Broadcast trial. An initial broadcast area has been activated across several French metropolitan areas, including Paris, Reims, Bourges and Le Havre, as TDH has claimed in a statement.

At an event held in Paris, TDF brought together key representatives from the audiovisual ecosystem to announce the launch of this new phase of 5G Broadcast in France. Speakers included Karim El Naggar, Chief Executive Officer of TDF, Christopher Baldelli, President of T18, and Jacques Donat-Bouillud, Head of Distribution at France Télévisions.

As video consumption increasingly shifts toward smartphones, a key question is emerging for the future of broadcasting: how can free, open and sovereign access to audiovisual content on mobile devices be guaranteed in the years ahead? For decades, DTT has ensured free, simultaneous and universal access to audiovisual content. It remains one of the few models capable of delivering the same quality of service to everyone, regardless of connectivity conditions.

In this context, 5G Broadcast focuses on extending distribution methods, rather than replacing them. By enabling live television reception on smartphones without a SIM card, Wi-Fi connection or data usage, it brinsg the principles of broadcast distribution to mobile devices while reducing dependence on connected networks.

For Broadcasters

5G Broadcast aims to allow broadcasters to gain a new distribution capability tailored to mobile viewing habits. Its principle is straightforward: a single signal is transmitted once and received simultaneously by everyone, regardless of the number of users.

The technology complements streaming platforms and applicationsing an additional delivery layer specifically suited to shared viewing experiences and mass audiences.

Large-Scale Trial Underway

For this large-scale trial, TDF is leveraging the strength and diversity of its infrastructure assets. Several sites have already been mobilized and brought into operation, including the Eiffel Tower (Paris), Meudon, Mantes-la-Jolie, Le Havre-Harfleur, Bourges-Neuvy and Reims-Hautvillers.

This initial coverage area intents to enable testing of real-world use cases and help prepare the next stages in the technology’s development.

Additional expansion phases are already planned for 2026, notably in Brittany, eastern France, the Lyon region and southwestern France. Deployment will continue through 2027 and 2028 to progressively support the nationwide rollout of 5G Broadcast.

According to Karim El Naggar, Chief Executive Officer of TDF: “5G Broadcast builds on the legacy of DTT by adapting its core principles of free access, accessibility and resilience to mobile usage. It offers a complementary way to deliver content to the widest possible audience without being constrained by the limitations of connected networks, serving broadcasters, citizens and audiovisual sovereignty. The phase we are launching today aims to create, together with all industry stakeholders, the conditions for the gradual and sustainable development of this technology”.