Time Frequency Interleaving for 5G Broadcast Approved

Time-frequency interleaving (TFI) is crucial for reliable broadcast transmissions, especially for mobile reception in environments with fluctuating time and frequency characteristics. It is used to mitigate the impact of sustained burst errors, particularly for rooftop reception, and addresses rapid fading caused by Doppler spread in mobile reception (e.g., in vehicles).

3GPP Release 14 and 16 introduced "LTE-based 5G terrestrial broadcast," a suite of radio access network (RAN) features that, combined with core network enhancements, facilitate downlink-only dedicated broadcast networks using 3GPP technologies. Releases 17 and 18 further enhanced this technology by introducing 6, 7, and 8 MHz PMCH bandwidths and supporting the broadcast UHF band (bands 107 and 108, spanning 470-698 MHz).

This paper from 3gpp proposes TFI standards for the 5G broadcast specification.