The 2026 Future Media Townhall focused on the latest developments and implementation of connected media applications, from both the technology and commercial perspectives. The event combined presentations and a round table discussion, bringing together industry experts to share insights and discuss the current status, opportunities and challenges in the field.
2026 Programme
Every session closes with Q&A from the audience.
At 10:00, The Intro: Welcome
Introduction by Samina Husain (IEEE BTS).
At 10:00–10:45, Session 1, Media Delivery: Scaling Media Services
Next steps in media delivery. Moderator: Daniel Silhavy (Fraunhofer FOKUS).
Speakers: Valentijn Siebrands (Streaming Solution Manager, Unified Streaming): media technology in the rise of streaming; Will Law (Chief Architect - Cloud Technology Group, Akamai): streaming, scalability, MoQ and more; Phil Layton (Head of Applied Research, BBC R&D): the shift to all-IP TV distribution in the UK.
Slides (PDF):
At 10:45–11:30, Session 2, New Tech: AI in Media and Future Networks
Towards autonomous workflows? Moderator: Frédéric Gabin (Dolby, 5G-MAG Chair).
Speakers: Michael Stattmann (CEO, Castlabs): content provenance, authenticity and C2PA; Saba Ahsan (Principal Research Lead, Nokia): future networks in the age of 6G and AI; Thierry Fautier (Lead Business Strategist, The Media League): "The Missing Layer: Why AI alone won't deliver autonomous media workflows"; Iraj Sodagar (Director of Media System Standards, Dolby Laboratories): media authentication.
Slides (PDF):
At 11:30–11:45, Session Break: Paper and Demo Pitches at IBC
Introduced by Jordi J. Gimenez (5G-MAG).
Papers and demos (PDF):
L3D-DASH: Low Latency Low Delay DASH, Fraunhofer FOKUS
Nokia Demos
XGN Arthur: 5G Broadcast Receiver Software
Big Blue Marble, IBC 2026 Demos
Media Coding Industry Forum (MC-IF), Dolby
Testing Streaming Playback at Scale: CTA WAVE Test Suite
3GPP SA4 Papers: 5G/6G Media & AIAt 11:45–12:30, Session 3, Video Codecs: Next-G Video Codecs
Video codecs towards 2030. Moderator: Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm).
Speakers: Julien Lemotheux (Senior Standardization Manager, Orange), Yan Ye (Distinguished Scientist, Alibaba Group U.S), Mickaël Raulet (CTO, ATEME) and Brian Jentz (Director, Product Management, Qualcomm): insights on next-generation video codecs.
Slides (PDF):
At 12:30–13:00, Session 4, Wrap-Up: Fresh Updates
Moderator: Antonio Arcidiacono (EBU).
Speakers: Jerome Andres (on behalf of the 5G Broadcast Business Strategy TF): rolling out 5G Broadcast in France; Johann Mika (Chief Innovation Officer, Big Blue Marble): fresh updates on next-gen media tech for broadcasters.
Slides (PDF):
2025 Programme (Recap)
The Future Media Townhall took place on Saturday, 13 September 2025 at IBC, Meeting Room E.102, co-organised by IEEE BTS and 5G-MAG. Slides are available from the recap posts below.
FMT#1: Towards the on-line-only future of media delivery
FMT#2: Enabling the immersive media experience for all
FMT#3: 5G Broadcast - ready for launch?
5G-MAG Members' Demos and Papers shine at the FMTA range of topics, the transition to online-only delivery, streaming tech, non-terrestrial networks, immersive media, XR and immersive story-telling, were covered, together with a panel discussion on 5G Broadcast with insights from stakeholders with concrete launch plans.
At 10:00, Insights from the industry, with Q&A
Introduction by Maurizio Murroni (IEEE BTS). Session Chair: Emily Dubs (DVB).
The Future of Media Distribution: Transiting to online and streaming: with Tim Pullen (BBC), Will Law (Akamai Technologies), Joel Grotz (SES) and Glenn Deen (Comcast).
The Future of Media Experiences: XR for Sports and Entertainment, and 6G: with Eddie Drake (The Walt Disney Studios), José Somolinos (Accedo), Frédéric Plourde (Collabora & The Khronos Group), Thomas Stockhammer (Qualcomm) and Gilles Teniou (3GPP SA4 Chair).
At 12:00, Short break with 5G-MAG demos & paper pitches
At 12:15, Panel discussion: 5G Broadcast, ready for launch?
With Mohamed Aziz Taga (Rohde & Schwarz), Markus Schneider (Media Broadcast), Johann Mika (Big Blue Marble) and Aytac Biber (Qualcomm).
At the end of the event, attendees joined the 5G-MAG Meet, Greet (& Eat) at Stand 10.D21.
Gallery
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