The trial, conducted during a major international football championship, is intended to assess the technology’s performance, scalability and operational readiness for future large-scale live sports streaming. The project combines Big Blue Marble’s Cloud Video Kit video processing platform with support from video compression technology provider Ateme.

According to the companies, MoQ has the potential to significantly reduce the delay traditionally associated with OTT streaming, enabling viewers to watch live events almost simultaneously. Lower latency is also expected to support new interactive experiences, including synchronised watch parties, second-screen applications, live statistics and real-time audience engagement.

Continuous measurements during the championship indicate that the MoQ platform is currently delivering the fastest live streaming signal available in Austria, according to Big Blue Marble, adding that the system reduces end-to-end latency by around 20 to 40 seconds compared with existing Austrian streaming services and, in some cases, delivers streams several seconds ahead of terrestrial and satellite television broadcasts.

“Our proof of concept shows that ultra-low latency streaming is now a reality, delivering the fastest live streaming signal in Austria and proving that internet-native delivery can outperform conventional OTT services,” said Johann Mika, Chief Innovation Officer at Big Blue Marble and project lead for the initiative.

According to Ateme, which is supporting the project with its TITAN transcoder and open-source technologies from the OpenMOQ consortium, the initiative demonstrates that sub-second latency can be achieved without compromising broadcast-quality video.

“Media over QUIC is one of the most promising developments for low-latency streaming and large-scale live event delivery,” said Mickaël Raulet, Chief Technology Officer at Ateme. “We are pleased to support Big Blue Marble and contribute our expertise as the industry explores new ways to deliver premium live content at scale.”

As part of the project, Big Blue Marble’s engineering team has extended the open-source MoQ implementation with additional features, including NTP timestamp insertion, end-to-end latency measurement, enhanced monitoring metadata and backend analytics integration. The company is collecting performance data across publisher, relay and player environments to evaluate quality of experience, network efficiency and platform scalability. Streams are protected using the company’s Cloud DRM multi-DRM platform.

The proof of concept will continue throughout the football championship and for several months afterwards. Big Blue Marble plans to use the extended trial period to gather additional operational data and explore commercial deployment opportunities. The company also intends to broaden the initiative by working with cloud providers, content delivery networks (CDNs), technology vendors and media organisations interested in developing next-generation internet-native streaming architectures.

SoftAtHome says it has completed the world’s first commercial deployment of a Wi-Fi 7 repeater running a full prpl software stack, marking an important milestone for the open-source broadband platform.

The software is now live with Orange in Poland and France, with at least three additional Orange operations in Europe expected to follow. The deployment builds on an earlier prpl-based gateway rollout for Orange Jordan in 2025, but represents the first large-scale European deployment centred on Wi-Fi 7.

prpl was created to give operators a common, hardware-independent software platform for broadband equipment, reducing reliance on proprietary vendor ecosystems while allowing services to run across multiple hardware platforms.

The Wi-Fi 7 repeaters combine SoftAtHome’s Wifi’ON Smart Wi-Fi software with prpl and prplMesh, enabling interoperability across different gateway vendors while supporting features such as Multi-Link Operation, seamless roaming across Wi-Fi 5, Wi-Fi 6 and Wi-Fi 7 networks, and automatic mesh optimisation.

Because the repeaters are compatible with Orange’s existing gateway installed base, customers can upgrade to Wi-Fi 7 coverage without necessarily replacing their broadband gateway. The software also uses SoftAtHome’s Eyes’ON analytics platform to provide operators with continuous visibility into Wi-Fi performance.

The deployment reflects growing operator interest in open broadband software, with prpl moving from industry trials into commercial networks as service providers seek greater control over customer premises equipment and a more flexible multi-vendor ecosystem.

Arnaud Bellivier de Prin, CEO of SoftAtHome, said: “Delivering the world’s first Wi-Fi 7 repeater on a full prpl stack and doing it at Orange scale across several European markets shows that operators can adopt an open platform, bring in new silicon partners and still preserve the seamless experience their subscribers expect.”

He added: “We are proud to reach this point alongside Orange.”

The rollout also highlights the increasing commercial availability of Wi-Fi 7, with operators now beginning to extend next-generation wireless connectivity through mesh repeaters as well as gateways.

Under the agreement, ATVI will provide BCi Digital with access to its core technical assets for implementing addressable advertising based on the HbbTV-TA standard, enabling faster deployment while ensuring full compliance and broadcast-quality dynamic ad substitution on real-world devices. The companies aim to improve interoperability and reduce fragmentation in addressable TV delivery.

A key element of the collaboration is the use of the ATVI implementation model, which is designed to accelerate time-to-market for technology providers while maintaining compliance with the specification. Broadcasters using BCi Digital solutions will also gain access to the ATVI Verified List, allowing them to filter compatible devices and limit Dynamic Ad Substitution (DAS) to verified HbbTV-TA-compliant TV models.

The HbbTV-TA specification, developed within the HbbTV framework, enables seamless ad substitution within linear television programming and is intended to support scalable addressable advertising services across Europe.

The partnership forms part of the ATVI Technical Partnership Program, through which ATVI works with selected technology companies to develop compliant addressable TV solutions while shortening development cycles and improving standardisation.

“We are very happy of this first of a kind partnership with BCi Digital; BCi Digital is a recognised leader in the delivery of turn-key solutions for addressable advertising, and we are very excited that BCi Digital will now engage with its Tier 1 Broadcaster clients in HbbTV-TA with the support of ATVI,” said Nicole Agudo-Berbel, Managing Director of ATVI and Managing Director and Chief Distribution & Partnerships Officer of Seven.One Entertainment Group.

Andre Prahl, Managing Director of ATVI and EVP Distribution at RTL Deutschland, added: “To work at scale, technology must remain harmonised, and this is what ATVI does; creating a reliable reach for HbbTV-TA for the benefits of broadcasters and advertisers; we are very glad to help BCi Digital and its customers to benefit from this harmonisation.”

John Bartlett, Founder and Chief Technology Officer of BCi Digital, said: “BCi Digital has been at the forefront of addressable advertising for more than a decade, helping deliver some of Europe’s most successful broadcast advertising solutions. Joining the ATVI Technical Partnership Program is an important opportunity to collaborate with industry leaders, accelerate innovation and help ensure television advertising remains effective, measurable and open in an increasingly IP-driven world.”

ATVI, based in Germany, is a technology joint venture founded by broadcast groups RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 in 2022, focused on enabling the adoption of addressable TV technologies in Europe through harmonised reach based on open standards.

UK-based BCi Digital develops cloud-native media systems and addressable advertising solutions for broadcasters worldwide, with a focus on scalable real-time platforms for audience measurement and media distribution.

Sturm, 55, will report directly to RTL Deutschland Chief Operating Officer Andreas Fischer and lead the newly integrated technology organisation. He will oversee the consolidation of the company’s technology platforms across infrastructure, playout, streaming, CRM, data and AI enablement as RTL continues integrating Sky’s operations.

The restructuring is designed to bring together the technological capabilities of both businesses, accelerate innovation and strengthen collaboration across key technology functions.

Sturm most recently served as CTO at Sky Deutschland, where he led the transformation of the company’s customer platforms. In his new role, he will be responsible for aligning RTL and Sky’s technology operations and supporting the development of future products, processes and business models.

According to RTL Deutschland, the combined organisation aims to build on the technology expertise of both companies and deliver innovations more quickly across the business.

“Technology is a decisive success factor for the future of our company. With Patrick Sturm, we are gaining an experienced technology and transformation executive who will further develop our technology organisation and provide important impetus for RTL Deutschland’s next phase of growth. His experience and understanding of complex technology platforms make him the ideal person for this key role,” said Fischer.

Sturm added: “RTL and Sky share very strong technological expertise and outstanding teams. This is what we want to build on. Our ambition is to shape one of the strongest technology teams in the media industry and to operate technologically on equal footing with the world’s leading streaming platforms. To achieve this, we will continue to expand our strengths in a targeted way and lift our company’s technological performance to the next level.”

Orange Belgium has launched a new Android TV 14 set-top box, introducing more powerful hardware and an expanded streaming ecosystem as it modernises its television platform.

Available immediately to new customers and offered as a €49 self-install upgrade for existing subscribers, the compact device features 4GB of RAM, a faster chipset, Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and support for Ethernet, delivering smoother navigation and faster app switching. It is based on Orange Belgium’s existing Android TV platform, retaining partnerships with Vantiva for hardware and firmware integration and Zappware for its customised launcher and TV applications.

The operator has also expanded its pre-installed streaming offering, with Netflix, Disney+, Prime Video, RTBF Auvio, VRT Max, VTM Go, Streamz, Play and RTL Play all available out of the box.

Philippe Toussaint, Chief Technology Officer at Orange Belgium, said: “Our new TV Box, powered by Android TV 14, offers a significant performance upgrade with 4GB RAM and improved processing power. This ensures smoother streaming and faster navigation, providing our customers with a truly ultra-modern TV experience. This new hardware marks an important milestone in modernizing our TV experience, with a strong focus on performance, ease of use, and sustainability.”

The hardware has also been designed with lower energy consumption in mind, drawing less than 5W in operation, while its packaging and accessories have been redesigned to reduce environmental impact.

Nathalie Rahbani, Chief Brand, Communication and ESG Officer, said: “Our new TV Box embodies this commitment, with its eco-friendly design and low power consumption. By investing in sustainable hardware solutions, we reduce the environmental footprint of our TV services and support a more circular approach to technology.”

The Belgian operator first migrated to Android TV in 2022, making the new device a second-generation hardware refresh rather than a new television platform.

DTVKit has released a production-ready DVB-I client for television and set-top box manufacturers, developed in partnership with Ocean Blue Software.

The software, now available to DTVKit members, is designed to help manufacturers adopt the emerging DVB-I standard more quickly. Built in C++, it uses significantly less memory than browser-based alternatives, making it suitable for lower-cost devices with limited RAM.

The client supports the latest DVB-I features, including service list discovery, restart and catch-up services, programme metadata and integration with DVB-I registries. It is designed to work across Android, RDK and Linux-based television platforms, with DTVKit also providing an Android reference implementation to simplify integration.

Ocean Blue Software will provide optional testing, integration and validation services for manufacturers, while DTVKit said the new client gives members a practical route to deploying DVB-I as broadcasters continue the transition towards hybrid and IP-delivered television.

ITV has chosen video delivery specialist MainStreaming to support the delivery of its ITVX streaming service as the broadcaster prepares for continued growth in online viewing.

The move adds MainStreaming to ITV’s existing multi-CDN strategy, with the company using its edge delivery network to help stream ITVX’s on-demand catalogue, live channels and news programming more efficiently.

ITV says the decision is part of its longer-term streaming strategy, with almost 10 billion streams delivered between December 2022 and December 2025. The broadcaster expects demand to continue growing as it shifts further towards a digital-first business.

A key factor in the deal was MainStreaming’s partnership with BT, allowing content to be delivered closer to viewers through the broadband provider’s network. ITV believes this will improve picture quality, scalability and efficiency for a significant proportion of its audience.

Mark Ison, ITV’s Director of Engineering, said MainStreaming’s “video-first, capacity-based approach” would help future-proof ITVX for the next decade, while MainStreaming CEO Antonio Corrado said the agreement reflected a wider shift towards closer collaboration between broadcasters, internet providers and streaming technology companies.

The data, presented at the Fraunhofer FOKUS Media Web Symposium 2026 in Berlin on 16-17 June 2026, was collected from paying customers using the nanocosmos platform across six continents over a twelve-month period. According to the company, the dataset measures player connection times and latency from real viewer sessions in Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, South America and Oceania.

Nanocosmos has been running MOQ in commercial production since mid-2025, targeting sectors where low-latency video delivery is critical, including iGaming, sports betting, live auctions, financial services and interactive entertainment.

The Berlin-based company compared performance between WebSocket and WebTransport-based MOQ implementations, focusing on player connection times and end-to-end latency, including buffering, decoding and rendering.

According to nanocosmos, WebTransport consistently outperformed WebSocket across all regions measured. The company said latency improvements ranged between 25% and 50%, while maintaining end-to-end latency at around 500 milliseconds globally with fewer outliers and improved median performance.

“This is not data we collected from ourselves, our research group, or test environments. We collect this from our customers. That makes it different,” said Luiza Sadowska, Developer Advocate and member of the Player Team at nanocosmos.

MOQ remains under development within the Internet Engineering Task Force standardisation process. Nanocosmos is among the first companies to deploy the technology commercially before formal standardisation is completed. The company attributes its ability to collect the data to its end-to-end architecture, operating its own content delivery network and playback technology without relying on third-party infrastructure.

Nanocosmos is also working to expand adoption of MOQ across the streaming ecosystem. According to the company, this includes efforts to enable support for the protocol in widely used streaming tools such as OBS Studio and the expansion of its NanoReady partner programme to hardware and software vendors.

The company will showcase its MOQ-based streaming platform at the European technology exhibition GITEX Europe 2026 at Messe Berlin on 30 June and 1 July 2026.

Founded in 1998, nanocosmos provides cloud-based video production and ultra-low-latency streaming services through its nanoStream and nanoStudio platforms. The company operates its own global CDN and has offered ultra-low-latency streaming services since 2015.

RGB LED televisions are expected to account for 13% of global TV revenue by 2030, up from just 3% this year, according to new forecasts from Omdia, as manufacturers increasingly focus on premium display technologies.

The analyst says RGB LED backlighting, which first reached consumers in early 2026, represents the next major evolution in LCD television technology. Unlike conventional Mini LED sets that use blue LEDs and quantum dots, RGB LED systems use independent red, green and blue LEDs to deliver purer colours, higher brightness and improved energy efficiency.

Omdia expects Mini LED and RGB LED technologies to become the key drivers of premium TV growth over the remainder of the decade, offering many of the picture quality benefits of OLED while avoiding issues such as screen burn-in and high manufacturing costs.

Global RGB LED TV shipments are forecast to rise from 1.1 million units in 2026 to 7.1 million by 2030, an increase of more than 500%. Mini LED shipments are projected to grow from fewer than 18 million units to almost 30 million over the same period, while OLED shipments are expected to remain broadly flat at around 6.9 million units.

The largest markets for RGB LED TVs by 2030 are expected to be North America, Western Europe and China. Mini LED adoption will be led by China, followed by North America and Western Europe.

Omdia also believes the technologies will gain traction in larger screen sizes. By 2030, almost a quarter of Mini LED TV shipments and 18% of RGB LED shipments are expected to be models measuring 85 inches or larger, compared with virtually no OLED TVs in that size category.

Patrick Horner, Practice Leader for TV Set Research at Omdia, said RGB LED represents “a major transformation” for the television market, adding that the combination of Mini LED efficiency and RGB LED colour performance will allow manufacturers to deliver larger, brighter and more immersive TVs while improving profitability.

According to Omdia, the shift marks more than an incremental technology update, instead establishing the foundation for the next phase of growth in the global TV market.

The stream, transmitted between Frankfurt and Mainz, demonstrated how broadcasters could protect content distribution against future cyber threats in the era of artificial intelligence and quantum computing.

According to the partners, the trial saw a TV signal transmitted between ARD’s Frankfurt site and SWR’s broadcasting centre in Mainz using quantum encryption technology. The test was designed to explore new ways of securing live television and streaming feeds against interception or manipulation.

The growing capabilities of AI systems and future quantum computers are increasing the importance of secure data transmission, particularly for live broadcasts that reach large audiences, stress the partners, adding that broadcasters face the risk that compromised transmission links could allow attackers to inject manipulated content into television or streaming feeds in real time.

Current encryption technologies already provide strong protection for content transport, but researchers have warned that sufficiently powerful quantum computers could eventually be capable of breaking some of today’s cryptographic methods. The trial therefore focused on Quantum Key Distribution (QKD), a technology that uses principles of quantum physics to create encryption keys and detect any attempt to intercept them.

For the test, quantum technology was installed at both broadcast locations and connected via a dedicated fibre-optic link known as a quantum channel. Photons carrying quantum states, or qubits, were transmitted between the two sites to generate encryption keys used to secure the TV stream.

One of the key advantages of the approach is that any attempt to monitor the quantum channel alters the quantum states being measured, immediately revealing the intrusion. In such cases, the encryption key can be replaced without compromising the security of the transmitted data.

“The quantum era is coming. We are preparing for it now with new technologies and strong partners. Our test demonstrates one possible approach for protecting sensitive data through highly secure communication channels in the future,” said Fabrizio Rocchio, Managing Director Technology and Network Director at Vodafone.

The project forms part of wider efforts to develop communications infrastructure that can withstand future attacks enabled by quantum computing. Alongside hardware-based Quantum Key Distribution, the industry is also developing software-based Post-Quantum Cryptography (PQC), which uses new cryptographic algorithms designed to remain secure against quantum-enabled attacks.

According to the partners, both approaches are expected to play an important role in safeguarding critical communications and media distribution networks in the years ahead.