A total of 16 mobile operators in 13 countries are conducting eMBMS-enabled LTE Broadcast (known as LTE Multicast) trials, according to the Global mobile Suppliers Association (GSA), reported Telecompaper.com on Aug 28, 2014. By using LTE Multicast technology, operators can manage network assets more efficiently by simultaneously broadcasting video content such as live TV broadcasts to multiple users. In its first examination of the LTE Multicast market, the GSA reveals that the technology is currently being used or trialed by LTE systems providers and broadcast content owners in Australia, China, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Portugal, Singapore, South Korea, UAE, UK and the US.

LTE Multicast is one of the key new features of 3GPP LTE Release 9 specifications known as evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS), which supports all specified bandwidths and formats of LTE, including FDD and TDD modes and LTE-Advanced carrier aggregation. The first LTE Broadcast service was commercially launched by South Korea’s KT Corp. on 27 January 2014.