The decision by ARD, the German broadcasters’ working group, to halt 5G Broadcast (5G-B) development in the country after years of testing has not dented enthusiasm among some other leading continental European broadcasters, which remain committed to commercial deployment – around 2027. But the move does reflect disappointingly slow progress towards support for 5G-B by the major smartphone makers, without which the technology has little point. It was, after all, developed by the 3GPP almost specifically for broadcasters rather than MNOs, for Direct to Mobile (D2M) over modified existing terrestrial infrastructure without need for SIM cards, or even a mobile subscription. With 5G-B capable handsets now not expected to arrive in significant numbers until 2028, ARD’s move may represent a…