Broadcasters are focused on the future of television and are serving more than half the country with NEXTGEN TV, also known as ATSC 3.0. Not only does this service deliver new enhanced features for free to viewers, but with nationwide deployment the technology can serve as a complement to GPS, protecting our nation's critical infrastructure. As television stations work diligently to roll out this new service, Congress and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) should support policies that expedite NEXTGEN TV deployment.
Here's why:
The next generation of broadcast television technology can deliver lifesaving advanced emergency alerting, stunning pictures, immersive and customizable audio and improved reception to enhance viewers' experience. In addition, the technology can utilize the existing broadcast infrastructure to provide a reliable complement to GPS, protecting our nation's critical infrastructure in the event of a catastrophic GPS failure.
Since 2017, broadcasters have been using the NEXTGEN TV standard on a voluntary basis, while also delivering signals using the old technology (ATSC 1.0) to ensure everyone continues to have access to free over-the-air television.
In 2023, the FCC announced the creation of the Future of TV Initiative, an initiative bringing together stakeholders from broadcasting, the consumer electronics industry, and public interest and consumer groups, to generate a road map for the NEXTGEN TV transition.
Currently, 75% of American TV viewers in 77 markets across the country can receive a NEXTGEN TV signal.
Broadcasters believe that it is necessary to set a mandatory transition date to the new broadcast standard to ensure consumers have access to the best free, local television has to offer. This has the added benefit of ensuring nationwide deployment of ATSC 3.0 which can protect America's critical infrastructure in the event of a GPS outage, which would be detrimental to our nation's banking, transportation and electrical power systems.
The bottom line:
As broadcasters move to unleash the next generation of free broadcast television service, Congress and the FCC should support its quick rollout to protect our nation's critical infrastructure and enable stations to provide the absolute best services for broadcast viewers.
To learn more about the next generation of television, visit nab.org/NextGen. To learn more about how this technology can serve as a complement to GPS, visit nab.org/BPS.