Four of America’s largest independent local broadcasting groups—E.W. Scripps Company, Gray Media, Inc., Nexstar Media Group, Inc., and Sinclair, Inc.—have come together to form EdgeBeam Wireless, a joint venture created to provide seamless wireless data services to a wide range of businesses and industries across the country.
By leveraging broadcasters’ uniquely efficient network architecture and the ATSC 3.0 transmission standard, EdgeBeam Wireless will provide expansive, reliable, and secure data delivery services. Using the broadcasters’ existing ATSC 3.0 facilities, the company will deliver a notably cost-effective solution that complements and enhances current wireless solutions.
“The launch of EdgeBeam Wireless is the culmination of many years of technological advancement, market development and, importantly, recognition by government regulators of the expanded services local broadcasters can provide through ATSC 3.0 technology,” said Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson.
EdgeBeam’s Use Cases
Nexstar Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Perry Sook commented, “Our long-held belief is that the transmission of high-speed data via our broadcast infrastructure represents a new way forward for the broadcast industry and a new stream of potentially significant revenue.”
Among EdgeBeam’s potential applications are automotive connectivity, content delivery networks (CDNs), and enhanced GPS.
ATSC 3.0 can be used to improve the accuracy of GPS location information to mere centimeters, compared to the current range of meters. Moreover, it can support vehicle software updates, infotainment, precision navigation, and safety enhancements.
EdgeBeam can also help provide a significantly improved viewer experience for streaming services, without buffering or lag, particularly during high profile events with large audiences like live sports.
EdgeBeam will also deliver data across the country to any civilian or military device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets, and television sets.
“With adoption of ATSC 3.0 receivers in television sets continuing to increase with more models available and sets sold every year, Gray Media is eager to join EdgeBeam Wireless to expand the user base for our broadcast signals to a new category of businesses and to spur the wider deployment of receiver chips in an expanded range of handheld units and vehicles,” explained Hilton Howell, Gray Media’s Executive Chairman and CEO.
A National ATSC 3.0 Footprint
This multi-partnership creates a spectrum footprint that no individual broadcaster could achieve on its own, unlocking the potential of ATSC 3.0 to offer nationwide coverage for data delivery to billions of potential devices on market-disrupting terms.
EdgeBeam plans to collaborate with other broadcasters in the future for additional capacity to offer truly nationwide services.
With this in mind, a national ATSC 3.0 footprint could allow broadcasters to provide a complementary backup to existing GPS capabilities in the event GPS satellites were subject to interference, helping to secure the U.S. economy.
“This is a groundbreaking development for the broadcast industry,” said Sinclair, Inc. President and CEO Chris Ripley. “We’re thrilled to partner with other leaders in our industry to chart a new path forward and develop new revenue opportunities. EdgeBeam Wireless will have benefits for the entire wireless ecosystem, helping to relieve congestion while also offering competitive pricing for wide-area data distribution.”
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