ATSC EXPERTS NOLAND, PARKS, WU, AND HANE PRESENT TO KOREAN BROADCASTERS

Posted on July 18, 2024 in ATSC News

Madeleine Noland Speaks at KOBA 2024

Four ATSC 3.0 experts shared their viewpoints on “NextGen TV Worldwide” at the Korean Broadcasters Association World Media Forum, staged in Seoul on May 21.

Kim Seung-jun, President of the Korean Broadcasters Association, began his opening remarks by stating, “KOBA, alongside NAB in the United States and IBC in Europe, is one of the world’s top three broadcasting equipment exhibitions and the largest in Asia. We are pleased to welcome you with further advancements based on various challenges and successes.”

President Kim emphasized, “In the United States, next-generation broadcasting applying ATSC 3.0 is termed ‘NextGen TV’ and services are being developed and implemented, currently covering at least 75% of U.S. households.” He continued, “This World Media Forum, themed ‘NextGen TV Worldwide,’ aims to explore the introduction and application cases of ATSC 3.0 terrestrial broadcasting, which garnered much interest at the recent NAB Show, to find ways to activate UHD broadcasting in Korea.”

ATSC President Madeleine Noland participated by video, comparing ATSC 3.0 coverage between South Korea and the United States, noting that “South Korea’s ATSC 3.0 coverage is 80%, while the U.S. has reached 75% nationwide. Additionally, 25-26% of American adults use ATSC.” She highlighted the growing interest in the U.S. where pay-TV providers, previously indifferent, are now launching related applications, and NextGen receiver sales are rising.

Noland predicted that by 2028, approximately 35 million receivers with NextGen services would be sold in the U.S. She also emphasized that NextGen services allow measurement of viewer engagement by day, hour, service, and device.  Noland then detailed ATSC 3.0 adoption cases in countries like Jamaica, Brazil, Canada, and India, noting Jamaica’s need for more preparations to reach 100% coverage due to its mountainous terrain, despite being able to cover over 65% of households.

The second speaker, Dr. Yiyan Wu of the ATSC Board of Directors, discussed ‘Inter-Tower Communications Network (ITCN): Enabling Inter-Tower Connectivity, Local Content Inspection, and Local Datacasting.’ Dr. Wu emphasized the importance of compatibility with existing infrastructure when introducing networks, stating, “ITCN must be optimized with the existing broadcast system,” and added, “ITCN is available for use with any standard today.”

SBS manager Jo Sam-mo responded to Dr. Wu’s presentation, saying, “ITCN is an advanced idea, but typically, countries allocate broadcast frequencies for broadcasting and communication frequencies for communication,” and asked if any countries permit using broadcast frequencies for communication. Dr. Wu acknowledged the concern, stating, “The situation is the same in other countries,” and emphasized that it is a regulatory issue rather than a technical one.

John Hane, CEO of the U.S. telecommunications company BitPath, discussed the monetization of high-value broadcasting data services. He first addressed regulatory issues, noting, “broadcasters need to offer services to commercial entities to generate profit.” Hane explained that broadcasting is often seen as cheaper and more efficient than mobile, but telecommunications provide stable coverage and strong security, offering different service characteristics and discussing various service solutions.

Finally, Delbert R. Parks, Chief Technology Officer of Sinclair Broadcast Group, spoke on ‘What’s Now and What’s with NextGen TV Service,’ discussing the evolution of NextGen TV and collaborative services with partners such as telecom companies and automobile manufacturers.  Parks recalled asking a government official during a previous visit to Korea, “What would you do if communication is paralyzed in a disaster?” emphasizing the importance of terrestrial broadcasting and highlighting the complementary relationship between broadcasting and telecommunications.

Posted in ATSC News