AMSTERDAM — DVB used IBC2026 to present a developing “filecasting” concept that would allow broadcast infrastructure to distribute stored files, software and media libraries—not only linear television channels.
The idea takes advantage of broadcasting’s defining efficiency: one transmission can reach an unlimited number of compatible receivers without creating a separate stream for every user.
Broadcast as a complement to the CDN
A filecasting service could deliver video catalogs, software updates, game builds and other large objects to receivers before demand peaks. Frequently requested material could be placed near users or stored directly on compatible devices, reducing pressure on conventional unicast delivery networks.
That does not mean broadcast would replace the internet. A return path would still be necessary for requests, personalization, transactions and usage reporting. The more realistic model is hybrid: broadcast handles efficient one-to-many distribution while broadband manages the individualized parts of the experience.
Useful possibilities—and unanswered questions
The concept could be particularly valuable when millions of receivers need the same large update at once. It may also support public-service uses such as pre-positioned emergency maps, multilingual instructions or receiver software before cellular networks become congested.
Filecasting remains under standardization and should not be described as a widely deployed commercial service. Receiver compatibility, security, rights management, scheduling and storage limits still require practical answers.
Broadcasters will also need a business case. Capacity used for stored files cannot simultaneously carry something else, and a successful service would need clear rules for who controls distribution priorities, verifies a file and pays for delivery.
Even with those limitations, the proposal expands the way broadcasters can think about their infrastructure. Spectrum and satellite capacity may have value not only as channels, but as high-efficiency delivery networks for any material that many people need at the same time.