Qualcomm has released the world’s first LTE broadcast software development kit, which it hopes will “broaden the ecosystem” of deployments.
The vendor had been testing the SDK with operators, device manufacturers and app developers. It said it wanted developers to use the app to build LTE broadcast apps. They can access a common API that can be used globally.
Raj Talluri, Senior Vice-President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies, said: “LTE Broadcast will fundamentally transform the way we experience and interact with live content. The availability of our LTE Broadcast SDK will provide developers with the tools to innovate and create applications and services that will enable LTE broadcast technology to reach its full potential. With a common API, the expansion of LTE Broadcast-based features will broaden the ecosystem, stimulate development and enhance user experiences in new and unique ways.”
The SDK has been designed to be used with the vendor’s Snapdragon LTE processors and features libraries and tools for developers to test new apps that can be used with LTE broadcast technology.
Vendors have been testing Qualcomm’s LTE broadcast service for the past three years. It includes a Snapdragon processor, Qualcomm’s Raptor Q forward error correction technology, broadcast middleware, multimedia features and an interface for relevant apps.
Qualcomm was recently involved in an LTE broadcast trial, along with UK operator EE and Huawei. Visitors to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow were able to view live content on Samsung mobile devices, without any buffering.
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