BT Group has announced a partnership with Edgio to integrate its Content Delivery Network (CDN) into BT's Multicast Assisted Unicast Distribution (MAUD) technology. Edgio will be the first CDN partner to collaborate on this initiative, which aims to optimise the delivery of live-streaming content over the internet. The collaboration will transition from proof of concept to real-world application, with trials set to begin on EE TV set-top boxes in the coming months.
Also Read: BT Unveils MAUD Technology for Enhanced Live Content Delivery
MAUD Technology
BT first unveiled MAUD technology for Enhanced Live Content Delivery in December 2023. MAUD is a new IP transmission technology designed to cater to the demands of live content delivery over the Internet. At the time of the announcement, BT said that during peak events, MAUD reportedly uses up to 50 percent less bandwidth, contributing to energy savings through fewer caches.
MAUD technology leverages multicast capabilities to combine multiple streams into a single shared stream, which is then directed to viewers who want to watch the content. This approach enhances the efficiency of live streaming by reducing the required bandwidth, ultimately improving the viewer experience by providing a more reliable and high-quality service.
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Commenting on the partnership, BT Group said: "BT Group’s goal is to develop an efficient live streaming solution that addresses the needs of players within the content delivery path. Partnering with Edgio, we're pioneering an effective content delivery system that seamlessly integrates with CDNs, making it accessible for external content providers."
Benefits of MAUD for CDN Operators
CDNs are crucial for delivering content to end users, as they store and cache content close to customers to reduce latency and improve load times. For MAUD-enabled CDN operators like Edgio, the technology provides dedicated delivery for streaming TV over the internet, allowing for higher-quality content delivery and less susceptibility to disruptions from other internet traffic, such as large file downloads, the official release said.
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Implications and Industry Impact
With the continued demand for live content and the rise of on-demand services, MAUD is a key solution for how BT Group (or any other ISP) can manage ever-increasing traffic loads. Building on the strengths of the Open Caching proposed and accepted standards, Edgio and BT Group can quickly establish the mechanisms needed to share the required information for this partnership, BT Group said.
