What Next-Gen TV Means for Telecom Companies

ATSC 3.0, popularly known as Next-Gen TV, is the next big jump in TV broadcasting. It has already been deployed in South Korea and showcased with the broadcasting of the Winter Olympics. The FCC has approved it for use in the United States, though no broadcasts or sets are available yet.

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Why is this interesting for telecom companies? There are two big reasons:

• It’s based on the IP protocol and provides for an uplink channel, allowing interactive content. The return link can be through ATSC or a separate Internet connection, such as LTE or Wi-FI. ATSC 3.0 represents the fusion of the Internet with television.
• The standard’s design aims not just at big screens but at mobile devices. TV in a phone isn’t a primary target right now, but in-vehicle TV sets and laptops could incorporate ATSC 3.0 tuners in the next few years.

The new technology will improve broadcast quality in a number of ways. It offers a better broadcast range and higher resolution (3,840 x 2,160) than the current broadcast standard, ATSC 1.0. Video encoding will use H.265, which is much more efficient than the MPEG-2 that version 1.0 uses. Other features include HDR (high dynamic range) and multiple audio channels.

The future of interactive TV

Interactive features will encourage new types of programming. A show might poll the audience, run a contest, or take requests. Ads can be targeted and allow instant ordering. This set of features is called the Interactive Environment, which brings HTML5 to TV sets. It could let viewers select from multiple views, access on-demand content, and get customized news.

To make this happen, receivers will need to run software applications. Today’s TV sets, like other electronic devices, have computing power, but it’s in firmware that rarely changes. Interactive TV using Internet protocols will open up markets for new kinds of applications. Their deployment may be transient, like JavaScript in a website.

This implies a new infrastructure. Broadcasters aren’t used to thinking in these terms. They send out programs and people receive them. Next-Gen TV will need mechanisms for software deployment and orchestration. They may run Android, an iOS variant, or some entirely new operating system. This is an opportunity for telecom companies.

An uncertain timeline

The first public deployment of the new broadcast technology will be in Phoenix, Arizona, in early 2018. To receive it, people will need new adapters for their sets, and their availability looks uncertain right now. Existing equipment can’t receive the broadcasts.

The FCC has authorized broadcasters to use ATSC 3.0, but for the present they have to offer the same material by ATSC 1.0. There are no plans yet to mandate 3.0 or terminate 1.0. Its future is in the hands of the market. If broadcasters don’t adopt it or consumers don’t buy new equipment, it could go nowhere. If there are both shows and sales of equipment to watch them, it could be a huge success.

The increased resolution and better dynamic range are great, but it may not be enough to push people to replace their existing sets. It could be the interactive features that really capture the public’s excitement, and this is where the capabilities of telecom companies come in. If they can deliver “killer apps,” along with the infrastructure to deliver them, they’ll be in an excellent position to profit.

The emphasis on mobile devices means that the technology isn’t just for TV sets in the traditional sense. Technology has already blurred the distinction between computers and communication devices; the devices of the future may add television to the mix.

Service Orchestration enables automation and standardization while deploying services with different components, a key business for Telecoms. Find out all The Many Benefits of Service Orchestration.