SOMEONE YOU SHOULD KNOW: COLIN “C.Y.” SMITH

Posted on July 5, 2022 in ATSC News

Colin “C.Y.” Smith is CEO of CeWi Networks, Inc. He says his organization has developed and patented a new communication protocol which is perfectly suited for datacasting as outlined in the ATSC 3.0 Standard. Smith says CeWi Networks, Inc. is also an active member of the TG3/S43, Specialist Group on ATSC 3.0 Core Network.

With ATSC 3.0 in active deployment, Smith says that he’s most proud of how their new protocol allows for the dissemination of real-time data streaming using standard ATSC 3.0 broadcasting systems.

“We originally developed this protocol to use with an FM transmitter at racing events to “datacast” lap times, running order, and other stats to racers and fans at the events,” Smith says. “Now that ATSC has published their standard which allows for datacasting over television frequencies, our protocol can be used nationwide to push streaming information to consumers, IoT devices, traffic apps, and any number of other applications requiring a constant supply of low latency data.”

Smith says that ATSC 3.0 will allow television broadcasters to remain relevant in a digital environment that is becoming more congested as conventional broadband networks are reaching the limits of their capacity to stream low latency content to millions of users, simultaneously.

“I can envision a scenario where certain ATSC 3.0 stations will derive a significant part, if not all of their revenues by using more and more of their bandwidth for datacasting,” Smith says.

Smith says the most impressive feature of ATSC 3.0 is the introduction of an IP-based broadcast medium that has recognized the importance of the ability to disseminate digital information over a broadcast network.

“With the increasing number of applications that rely on a constant stream of information in order to function, having a broadcast network available to push this data out to millions of devices, simultaneously, will go a long way toward alleviating the broadband congestion, especially in urban areas.”

Smith attended the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a jet pilot in the Marine Corps upon graduation. After the Marines, he went to work at General Dynamics in their missile systems division, and ultimately became the Round Design Agent (Chief Engineer) for the Aegis Missile Program. In the 90’s, Smith formed a new business providing telemetry data for use in the television broadcast of motorsports events and provided this service for all the major networks involved in televising motorsports events. Since selling that business to CBS, Smith has been perfecting the datacasting protocol his organization developed. CeWi is currently using in the ATSC broadcasts, which is loosely based on the same telemetry protocols used when he was working in the missile world.

Smith grew up in Tucker, Georgia, the oldest of five children. He now has five children of his own.  Smith and his wife of 29 years, Shelley, live in Gainesville, Georgia, where they enjoy boating on Lake Lanier, wine tasting in the north Georgia mountains, and spending time with their grown children. Smith enjoys restoring cars and boats (he currently has a 1969 Ferrari Daytona replica auto and a 36-foot 1969 Chris Craft Corvette boat.)  Smith also plays the 5-string banjo at bluegrass gatherings in the local area with his brothers and cousins.

Posted in ATSC News