The EBU has published a list of technical and operational requirements it recommends using when procuring Content Delivery Network (CDN) services, with a focus on media delivery. The recommendation, called EBU R 159, also describes how the CDN tender process can be optimized for specific setups, like multi-CDN deployments. If EBU Members or other content providers specify the same requirements as a baseline in their procurement activities, this will improve the interoperability of CDN services in the market.
EBU Members are among the largest media content publishers that publicly tender for CDN services. CDNs are essential for broadcasters to deliver the best possible video quality to ever-growing online audiences. Almost half of the EBU Membership even combines one or more public CDNs with their own private content delivery network. However, owing to a lack of standardization, it can be challenging for content providers to switch between and integrate additional public CDNs into their architecture.
The challenges can be mitigated by requesting CDN vendors to support a common set of requirements, which is the goal of EBU R 159. Nevertheless, the recommendation does not take a one-size-fits-all approach: the requirements form a baseline set and procurers are advised to select and weight them according to their own needs. CDN providers will be stimulated to provide the best possible service, potentially by adding specializations.
Related webinar
R 159 has been compiled by CDN specialists from EBU Members. They collaborate in the Broadband Distribution Architecture (BDA) group that is part of the Strategic Programme on Distribution, governed by the EBU Technical Committee.
The BDA group invites the CDN industry, from content to service providers, to discuss and improve the baseline requirements. This is the goal of an EBU Webinar scheduled on Tuesday 5 September 2023 at 14:00 CEST.