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February 2, 2023
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February 21, 2023What is LiveU? Bonded 5G, explained.
LiveU lets broadcasters go live from almost anywhere over ordinary mobile networks, without a satellite truck or a fixed line. This guide covers how cellular bonding works, the unit models, the latency to expect, and how to hire one in Europe.
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Bonded-cellular broadcasting, explained.
What LiveU is, how it works and where it fits.
What is LiveU?
LiveU is a broadcast technology company that makes portable video-transmission units, the LU800, LU600, LU300 and LU200, that send professional-quality video from nearly anywhere in the world using cellular networks alone. Instead of a satellite dish or a fibre line, a LiveU unit fits in a backpack and goes live over 4G/5G.
How cellular bonding works
LiveU's method is cellular bonding (also called bonded cellular or multi-path transmission). Rather than relying on a single 4G/5G connection, a LiveU unit activates several SIM cards from different network operators at once, the LU600 uses up to eight. Its software splits the outgoing video into multiple streams, routes each across a different cellular link, and reassembles them at the destination. If one network slows or drops, the others compensate automatically, so viewers see no interruption.
How a LiveU broadcast works, step by step
- Camera captures video: a broadcast camera (e.g. Sony XDCAM) feeds the LiveU unit over SDI or HDMI.
- The unit encodes it: compressing with HEVC (H.265) for broadcast quality at lower bitrates.
- Cellular bonding transmits: the video is split across multiple 4G/5G connections to LiveU's cloud servers.
- The server reassembles the stream: stitching the streams back into one continuous feed.
- Output to your destination: pushed to a studio, an RTMP server, or YouTube/Facebook Live in near real time.
LiveU unit models
LiveU makes a range of units for different jobs:
- LU800: bonds up to 14 SIMs; demanding broadcast, sport and major events.
- LU600: up to 8 SIMs; the workhorse for news and ENG crews.
- LU300: up to 4 SIMs; smaller and corporate productions.
- LU200: up to 4 SIMs; entry-level and regional news.
- LU Solo: 2 SIMs; social-media live streaming and solo creators.
What latency can you expect?
LiveU typically delivers glass-to-glass latency of 0.5–1.5 seconds: far lower than satellite uplinks at 3–7 seconds. That short delay is what makes natural live interviews and two-way conversation possible.
Where LiveU works best
LiveU suits places where a broadcast truck or satellite dish is impractical:
- Breaking news from the field
- Sport, from pitchside or moving with the athletes
- Political events, rallies and press conferences
- Remote locations with no fixed internet
- Moving vehicles: cars, boats, aircraft
- Places where a large broadcast setup would be intrusive
LiveU for news
For news teams, LiveU replaces the satellite truck with a backpack that's live in under five minutes. There's no line-of-sight requirement, so it works inside buildings, underpasses and dense city centres where satellite fails; the cost per live hit is lower with no truck hire or satellite booking; and the reporter and operator can walk, run or broadcast from a moving vehicle. Field feeds arrive at a central server and route straight to edit suites, playout or streaming, so a reporter in Brussels can reach a studio in London with sub-second delay.
LiveU vs satellite
Against traditional satellite (SNG), LiveU wins on speed, cost, mobility and reach. For the full breakdown, see our LiveU vs traditional broadcasting comparison. Weighing LiveU against its main bonded-cellular rival instead? See LiveU vs TVU.
LiveU broadcasts we've run
We have run LiveU live at the NATO Summit in The Hague, for the European Commission, and for ProSieben at the European Council. See more in our case studies.
Want to hire a LiveU unit?
When you're ready to book a bonded cellular crew, our hire page has the kit options (LU600), clear pricing and the same-day service area: LiveU hire with a trained operator, live the same day across the Netherlands, Belgium and West Germany.
We rent the LU600 for €350 a day: on its own in the Netherlands, or added to one of our crews for the same price. An operator is from €500 a day.
Hire a LiveU with a crewQuestions, answered.
What is LiveU?
LiveU is a broadcast technology that transmits professional live video over bonded mobile networks instead of a satellite truck or fixed line. A LiveU unit bonds several 4G/5G SIMs into one stable feed, so you can go live from almost anywhere.
How does cellular bonding work?
A LiveU unit activates several SIM cards from different networks at once, splits the video across them, and reassembles it at the destination. If one network slows, the others compensate, so the feed stays stable.
What latency does LiveU have?
Typically 0.5–1.5 seconds glass-to-glass, compared with 3–7 seconds for satellite, low enough for natural live interviews and two-way interaction.
Which LiveU unit do I need?
The LU600 (up to 8 SIMs) is the workhorse for news and ENG; the LU800 (up to 14) suits sport and major events; the LU300 and LU200 fit smaller productions. For hire with an ENG crew, CamJo24 runs the LU600.
Do I need a satellite truck or special internet?
No. LiveU broadcasts over ordinary 4G/5G with no satellite dish, no fixed line and no line-of-sight. It works indoors, underground and from moving vehicles.
Can I hire a LiveU unit with an operator in Europe?
CamJo24 rents LiveU units with an experienced broadcast operator, same-day across the Netherlands, Belgium and West Germany and further afield with a little more notice, all on one all-in invoice. See our LiveU hire with a trained operator page, or call +31 6 40830071.
Need to go live with LiveU?
Tell us where and when. We'll have a LiveU unit and an operator on location, live over bonded 5G/4G, same-day across the Netherlands, Belgium and West Germany.