Cellular Bonding for Broadcast Explained - Reasons to Use It
When live streaming video online, reliable Internet connectivity is essential. Live media producers are constantly looking for solutions to get the job done without issues such as low quality video, stuttering, buffering and even dropouts.
The problem is you cannot trust a single Internet connection when broadcasting, because something can go wrong at any time due to temporary infrastructure problems, wireless signal coverage, etc. That's why it's best to use two or more Internet connections.
Cellular bonding for live streaming is the norm for broadcasting video nowadays. It usually refers to using multiple cellular connections simultaneously through dedicated cellular bonding hardware. Using a bonded network connection to live stream provides the reliability you need to avoid any type of broadcast issues.
But what is the best cellular bonding solution for live streaming? Check out our comparison sheet below that includes both hardware bonding and software bonding solutions such as LiveU, Peplink, Teradek, Mushroom Networks, Streambox, TVU Networks, Dejero and Speedify.
COMPARISON SHEET: Bonded Cellular Solutions for Live Streaming
| Dejero | LiveU | Mushroom Networks | Peplink | Speedify | Streambox | Teradek | TVU Networks | |
| Typical equipment | Dedicated hardware bonding device | Dedicated hardware bonding device + streaming service subscription | Dedicated hardware bonding device | Dedicated hardware bonding device | Software subscription to run directly on supported hardware devices | Dedicated hardware bonding device + streaming service subscription | Dedicated hardware streaming / bonding device + streaming / bonding service subscription | Dedicated hardware bonding device |
| Portability | No | Some solutions only - e.g. LiveU Solo | Some solutions only - e.g. Streamer, Streamer Pro | Some solutions only - e.g. SpeedFusion Engine Series | Yes, depending on the device it’s running on: laptop, mobile device | Some solutios only - e.g. AVENIR Mini 5 | Some solutions only - e.g. Teradek Bond, Teradek LinkPro | Some solutions only - e.g. TVU One / Nano |
| Supported connection types | Ethernet (Gateway 211 only), Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular | Ethernet, Wi-Fi, cellular |
| Maximum bonding speed | 1 Gbps | 20 Mbps for streaming / 60 Mbps for file transfer (LU600 HEVC) | Streamer Pro: 30 Mbps max. throughput Streamer: 1 Gbps (standalone), 30 Mbps (RTMP) max. throughput |
200 Mbps with SpeedFusion Cloud |
300 Mbps - Speedify public servers 1 Gbps - Speedify with dedicated server |
1 Gbps | According to streaming settings - limited by ingest servers | 1 Gbps for the 5G TVU One Router (portable) |
| Technology | Smart Blending Technology | LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) | Broadband bonding | SpeedFusion and other business-oriented ones | Channel bonding, Speedify protocol | Network bonding | Sharelink, Core | IS+ cellular bonding |
| Cost | Approx. $4000 for the Gateway 211 | Starting at $995 for the LiveU solo + $450 / year for the LRT service | Starting at $10,000 | Starting at $499 for the Peplink UBR LTE + SpeedFusion Cloud subscription starting at $20 / 6 months / 500 GB | $90 / year Optional: additional cost for the dedicated server(s) |
Starting at $495 for the Streambox Cloud Event Package + the cost of the Avenir Mini 5 | Starting at $4,990 for the Teradek LinkPro Backpack + $25 / month for the Sharelink service + additional cost per GB over 50 GB | Upon request - should be at least a few hundred dollars for the TVU Router Nano |
All solutions work very well for use cases such as:
- IRL live streaming
- remote learning
- online and hybrid events - including wedding videography, concerts, etc.
- reporting from the field
- entertainment
- houses of worship
Benefits of Using a Software-Based Cellular Bonding Solution for Live Streaming
You may be wondering what you should use as a cellular bonding solution for your live broadcasts. When it comes to bonded Internet, there are three main things you should take into account before choosing / switching to one of the above:
- Type of cellular bonding device: dedicated hardware vs. software - Speedify is unique in this space, as most bonded Internet solutions involve dedicated hardware. Speedify's software-only internet bonding solution prioritizes live streaming while running on any computer, mobile device, supported router or other device powered by Speedify.
Being a software service, Speedify is much more versatile and portable. It's not limited to specific bandwidths and you don't need additional space, power sources or equipment to set it up in order to get great results when live streaming or transferring files. - Costs - all hardware-based internet bonding solutions (Dejero, LiveU, Mushroom Networks, Peplink, Streambox, Teradek and TVU Networks) have an initial investment of at least $495 plus the subscription to cloud bonding services. With Speedify, you only pay for the monthly or yearly subscription and enjoy cellular bonding for live streaming right on your own devices.
- Flexibility - instead of being committed to dedicated bonding hardware, Speedify allows you to do cellular bonding for live streaming on any supported device. If you want, you can even create your own bonded Internet router and use it in a similar way to a hardware bonding device.
If you're hesitant in choosing software over hardware, here's a real world use case: Doug Piper successfully live streams beer tasting using Speedify after he had considered a LiveU based setup.
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How Speedify Helps Your Organization Live Stream Flawlessly Over Bonded Cellular Connections
Speedify provides mission critical solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes. Speedify's unique channel bonding technology makes it possible to dynamically spread individual packets amongst all of your available internet connections so even large single-socket transfers such as streaming video, uploading, or downloading files can benefit from a major speed boost!
Alongside the app itself, available for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android and OpenWrt routers, Speedify can also be embedded into other software apps via the Speedify SDK, or into networking, IoT and hardware products via the Powered by Speedify program.
A recent example of a Powered by Speedify hardware implementation is the Miri Technologies X510 bonding network router. It can use up 7 connections through its ports and another 20 via Speedify's Pair and Share functionality.
NEW!
Miri X510 Bonding Router
POWERED BY SPEEDIFY
Bond up to 7 Links Simultaneously
Combine wired, Wi-Fi, 5G, and LTE connections plus Pair & Share with other Speedify users.
Battery-powered Portability
Looking to embed bonding solutions on your routers or appliances?
Speedify Teams
Increased speed, security, and stability for all of the people and devices in your organization.
Speedify for Routers
Turn your OpenWRT, GL.iNET, or Miri router into a Powered by Speedify device that can bond available 4G, 5G, Wi-Fi, wired, and Starlink connections together.
Embedded Solutions and Integrations
Embed Speedify software into your app or hardware products and leverage the core channel bonding technology of Speedify in new and interesting ways.