Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

Under pressure: How BT's MAUD is managing the distribution chain

13/02/2025

The way content is consumed is changing, which means delivery infrastructures are being put under more and more pressure. BT's broadband engineering director Ian Parr has a way to relieve the burden on our beleaguered networks

By Kevin Emmott

Published: February 12, 2025 Updated: February 13, 2025

The way content is consumed is changing, which means delivery infrastructures are being put under more and more pressure. BT's broadband engineering director Ian Parr has a way to relieve the burden on our beleaguered networks

target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>

According to 2024's State of MediaTech Report from the IABM, more people in the US are streaming their content than watching it on television. Lots more, in fact, and it's been going that way for a while with research from EMarketer suggesting that the number of people streaming live sports eclipsed the number watching on traditional broadcast television back in 2023.

Ian Parr, broadband engineering director at BT That gulf is only going to get bigger. The problem is, scaling the network to support these viewing peaks is both inefficient and expensive, especially when it comes to live events. Event-based broadcasting is where the big spikes in traffic are generated, and as more viewers migrate to IP-based consumption and more sporting events are picked up by companies like Amazon and Netflix who only operate over IP, those peaks are going to get bigger and more frequent and create more problems for viewers.

Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery For the last four years, BT's broadband engineering director Ian Parr has been working on a way to address these challenges. Parr is the overall sponsor for BT's MAUD (Multicast-Assisted Unicast Delivery) project, a smart technology that more efficiently manages IP content across the entire distribution chain.

In collaboration with development partner Broadpeak, MAUD has now gone from a concept to practical implementation. It is currently in a test phase with more than 1,000 BT users and is on track to roll out to a significantly larger portion of BT's broadband consumer base.

MAUD's USP is its ability to seamlessly integrate with existing Content Service Providers (CSPs) like the BBC, and optimise the delivery of unicast content streams by translating them into multicast for more efficient distribution. And it's not a moment too soon.

Making it easy Television is already migrating to IP with a plethora of over-the-top services like Amazon, Apple, Disney and Netflix , says Parr, and so we're facing a significant increase in broadcast traffic on our network in the future. Our approach is to take a unicast content stream direct from a Content Delivery Network (CDN), convert it to multicast for more efficient transport across that network, and then convert it back to unicast in the home so it can be seamlessly played out.

MAUD solves two key challenges with Multicast ABR (mABR). Firstly, it facilitates seamless integration with CSP applications, allowing them to transition to a multicast stream without having to modify their application; this makes it very easy for them to adopt the technology. At the other end of the chain, MAUD preserves the reporting and analytics offered by CDNs to ensure the CSPs still receive important metrics such as concurrent streams and data transfer amounts.

MAUD makes it as easy as possible for content providers to take advantage of this technology, he adds.

The workflow Making use of multicast distribution throughout BT's network, MAUD eliminates the need for unicast streams entirely and deploys an edge proxy within BT broadband routers that converts the stream back to unicast in the home. This bit of code, included as standard in BT's latest generation of hubs, enables consumers to view content on whatever viewing platform they choose, whether it is a television, phone, PC, or tablet.

By adopting a multicast delivery of one stream per channel rather than one stream per viewer, the system minimises network strain which can overwhelm traditional infrastructures.

MAUD's essence is really in that conversion between unicast to multicast, and from multicast back to unicast again in the home, and doing it seamlessly from both perspectives, says Parr. This kind of distribution workflow benefits everyone across the entire distribution chain; the primary benefit for BT is continuing to provide a quality experience of live linear TV content on our network, and it helps to avoid some of the cost of expanding the network at peak delivery times.

But there are subsequent benefits to CDN providers as well, who require less investment in our network and can pass on those cost reductions to the content service providers themselves, he continues.

And overarching all of that, its smaller network footprint and caching infrastructure means a lower carbon footprint for content delivery.

Working together In Q4 2024 the MAUD project entered its critical testing phase, not only trialling with end-users to ensure real-world resilience but encouraging more engagement with content partners to further develop and optimise the service as it scales.

Currently, all BT's latest generation of home broadband routers are able to use MAUD, but rolling out at a rate of about two million routers every year means that the company anticipates that every household on EE, BT or Plusnet-branded broadband routers will be MAUD enabled within a few years. BT aims to start the process of onboarding third-party content providers in 2025, but for Parr that's just the tip of the iceberg.

We've got a number of long-term propositions to extend MAUD beyond the BT network, he says. Broadpeak is empowered to market and license the MAUD technology into its current product sets around the world
LINK: https://www.tvbeurope.com/ip-migration/under-pressure-how-bts-maud-is-...
See more stories from tvb

Most recent headlines

06/10/2025

France Tlvisions Wins Prestigious 2025 EBU Technology & Innovation Award in Groundbreaking Collaboration with Dalet

France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...

04/09/2025

Monumental Sports & Entertainment and Dalet Win Prestigious 2025 NAB Show Project of the Year Award

Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...

29/06/2025

Roland introduce the Mood Pan

Handpan-inspired instrument announced Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...

28/06/2025

Press Release: NFVF Marks Youth Month by Empowering Future Creatives Through Film & TV Bursaries

Johannesburg, 27 June 2025 - As the nation commemorates Youth Month 2025, the N...

28/06/2025

FCC Chair Brendan Carr Promises Very, Very Busy, Productive Summer

WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...

28/06/2025

Spectrum Awards $1.1 Million in 2025 Spectrum Digital Education Grants

STAMFORD, Conn. Charter Communications has awarded $1.1 million in Spectrum Digital Education grants to 55 nonprofit organizations that work to expand access to...

28/06/2025

Sonnet Announces Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock Now Veri...

LAKE FOREST, Calif. June 19, 2025 What's New: Sonnet Technologies today announced the certification of its Echo 20 Thunderbolt 4 SuperDock as an Engin...

28/06/2025

IDC Names MASV One of Three Most Innovative Companies in...

MASV (massive.io), the fastest and most reliable large file transfer platform for media professionals, has been named an IDC Innovator in the IDC Innovators: Me...

28/06/2025

TV SKYLINE Expands Live Production Capabilities with Late...

Grass Valley today announced that TV SKYLINE GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with 30 LDX 135 UHD/HD...

28/06/2025

AgileTV has been selected to develop and implement LIWEST...

AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, signed an agreement with Austrian telco LIWEST to develop and implement its TV service in Austr...

28/06/2025

Scaler 3.1 update from Scaler Music

Music theory plug-in updated Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...

28/06/2025

The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K

The 48th Annual Indian National Finals Rodeo Shot with Blackmagic PYXIS 6K Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments Filmmaker Cameron Mackey relied on Bl...

28/06/2025

Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment

Social, Streaming Don't Compete, They Compliment Andy Marken June 27, 2025 0 Comments I think we've all arrived at a very special place. Spir...

28/06/2025

Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala

Blackmagic Design Captures Filipino Rock Band Drama Singtala Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments Blackmagic URSA Mini Pro 12K and DaVinci Resolve St...

28/06/2025

Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural

Enhance Videos Faster with Aiarty Video Enhancer - Offline, Sharp, and Natural Brie Clayton June 27, 2025 0 Comments If you've used AI video tools...

27/06/2025

Give Me the Backstory: Get to Know Eva Victor, the Writer-Director Behind Sorry, Baby

By Jessica Herndon One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...

27/06/2025

Spotify Launches K-Pop Performance Video Series . . . Next Up, TWS

K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...

27/06/2025

Family Cybersecurity CEO: Protecting Kids, Parents, and My Sanity From Scams

In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...

27/06/2025

FCC Sets Comment Deadlines on Proposed Foreign Ownership Rules

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has set deadlines for comments to a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) to codify certain foreign ownership re...

27/06/2025

FCC Chair Brendan Carr Promises Very, Very Busy, Productive Summer'

WASHINGTON In a press conference following the Federal Communications Commission's May Open Meeting, Chair Brendan Carr promised the agency would move rapid...

27/06/2025

Klevgrand introduce Walls reverb plug-in

From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...

27/06/2025

GIK Acoustics: Room EQ Wizard Tutorial

Learn to use REW for room analysis Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...

27/06/2025

HDMI Forum Introduces v2.2 of the HDMI Specification

SAN JOSE, Calif. The HDMI Forum has released Version 2.2. of the HDMI Specification with 96Gbps bandwidth and next-gen HDMI Fixed Rate Link technology to provid...

27/06/2025

TV Skyline Expands Live Production Capabilities with Grass Valley Cameras

MONTREAL Grass Valley has announced that TV Skyline GmbH, one of Europe's top mobile production providers, has expanded its camera inventory with the acquis...

27/06/2025

Fubo Adds Weigel Broadcasting's Networks

NEW YORK & CHICAGO FuboTV Inc. and Weigel Broadcasting Co. have announced a multi-year agreement for distribution of seven networks including MeTV, H&I, Movies!...

27/06/2025

Americans' Favorite Pastime is Watching TV

NEW YORK A national survey of U.S. consumers shows 66% of us watch TV all or most of the time and also multitask while doing it....

27/06/2025

Sunbeam, Findal Media Ink Deal to Broadcast ABC Miami

MIAMI Sunbeam Television has reached a multiyear agreement with Findal Media & Technology Group to broadcast the new ABC Miami beginning Aug. 4....

27/06/2025

AccuWeather Signs Weather Data Deal with AI Search Provider Perplexity

STATE COLLEGE, Pa. AccuWeather has announced a deal with Perplexity, a AI-powered search and answer engine, that will bring AccuWeathers weather data and severe...

27/06/2025

New FCC Commissioner Olivia Trusty Announces Staff Appointments

WASHINGTON After being sworn in on June 23 as the Federal Communications Commission's newest Commissioner, Olivia Trusty has hit the ground running with the...

27/06/2025

FCC sets Deadlines for Comments on Proposed Foreign Ownership Rules

WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commissions has set deadlines for comments to a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) to codify certain foreign ownership r...

27/06/2025

TAG Video Systems and Gencom Technology Forge Strategic P...

TAG Video Systems, the leader in software-based IP media probing, monitoring, visualization, and analytics, has announced a new collaboration with Gencom Techno...

27/06/2025

France-tv Streamlines Master Control Capabilities with PR...

Pixel Power (A Rohde & Schwarz Company) has recently been working with France T l visions, the French national public TV broadcaster, on a number of projects fo...

27/06/2025

DPA Microphones to Reveal Breakthroughs in RF Distributio...

DPA Microphones' U.S. team, a partner of Wisycom SRL, is hosting a free webinar focused on Wisycom's innovative RF distribution technology for wireless ...

27/06/2025

Avid delivers full integration of MediaCentral and Wolfte...

Avid today announced the release and immediate availability of its fully integrated, industry-leading news platform, uniting MediaCentral and Wolftech News in...

27/06/2025

PlayBox Neo Highlights Strategic Visibility at Key Indust...

PlayBox Neo is only half way through the year and has already experienced sustained demand for the company's wide range of smart media solutions, reporting ...

27/06/2025

Soundtheory release Kraftur Focus

Second edition of parallel clipper plug-in announced Soundtheory have announced the launch of Kraftur Focus, a new edition of their parallel clipper plug-in...

27/06/2025

Game, set, action! Screen Australia and ABC announce new mini-series Goolagong

27 06 2025 - Media release Game, set, action! Screen Australia and ABC announce new mini-series Goolagong Marton Csokas and Lila McGuire of Goolagong. Image c...

27/06/2025

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora

How Two Berklee Alumni Landed Songs in the Oscar-Winning Film Anora Joseph Capalbo BM '12 and Lyusi Simon BM '16 share how their collaboration spanned...

27/06/2025

How Smarter Video Compression is Creating a Sustainable Future

How smarter compression is creating a sustainable future By Michael Burns Monday, June 23, 2025 - 14:13 Print This Story Live sport is especially vulnerab...

27/06/2025

RTL Group To Acquire Sky Deutschland

RTL Group To Acquire Sky Deutschland By George Bevir, Editorial Director, SVG Europe Friday, June 27, 2025 - 8:00 am Print This Story | Subscribe Story ...

27/06/2025

Frictionless, At Scale: The Current State of Live Video Streaming Techology

Frictionless, At Scale: The Current State of Live Video Streaming Techology Leaders from Bitmovin, Comcast Technology Solutions, Harmonic, IMAX, and Phenix brea...

27/06/2025

Marquee Sports Network's Nick Steger on Meeting the Moment of the Contending Chicago Cubs

Marquee Sports Network's Nick Steger on Meeting the Moment of the Contending...

27/06/2025

NHL Draft 2025: The League Is Primed for First Decentralized Draft in Non-Pandemic Era

NHL Draft 2025: The League Is Primed for First Decentralized Draft in Non-Pandem...

27/06/2025

RTL Group to acquire Sky Deutschland

Friday 27 June 2025 Combination of RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to create a unique proposition in entertainment, sports ...

27/06/2025

Let the Final Games Begin With Squid Game' Season 3 Complete Coverage Guide

Back to All News Let the Final Games Begin With Squid Game' Season 3 Complete Coverage Guide Entertainment 27 June 2025 Global Link copied to clipboar...

27/06/2025

'Squid Game: Unleashed': Celebrate the Epic Series Finale With New Games, Characters and Rewards

Back to All News Squid Game: Unleashed: Celebrate the Epic Series Finale With N...

26/06/2025

Amrou Al-Kadhi's Layla Brings Audience to Its Knees

Louis Greatorex, Amrou Al-Kadhi and Bilal Hasana. (Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival) By Veronika Lee Claghorn The world premiere of Amr...

26/06/2025

Buckle up for Great Australian Road Trips launching 31 July on SBS and SBS On Demand

Buckle up for Great Australian Road Trips launching 31 July on SBS and SBS On De...