By Jonathan Easton

The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Inc. (ATSC) has announced the release of a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for Broadcast Core Network technologies to enhance the ATSC 3.0 broadcast standard.

ATSC is in the process of specifying Standards for a Broadcast Core Network. The organisation said that the addition of core networking capabilities will be an integral part of the ATSC 3.0 broadcast system architecture.

The aim is to facilitate efficient interconnect between broadcast towers to form one or more service networks, enabling new business opportunities that require efficient regional or national data delivery options.

Chair of ATSC Technology Group 3 and Sr. Manager Technical Standards at Sony Electronics, Luke Fay, said: “We are excited to expand ATSC 3.0 options to include Core Networking. This valuable addition to the ATSC 3.0 standard will enable broadcasters to coordinate data and content delivery across multiple markets. We look forward to specifying a state-of-the-art ATSC 3.0 extension with experts in the industry.”

Solution Architect at HPE and co-Chair of the ATSC Specialist Group drafting the new specification, Ali Dernaika, said: “A high-performing Broadcast Core Network that provides services at scale will be essential to deliver on the promises of ATSC 3.0. Following a 5G service-based architecture, the broadcast core network will streamline the efficiencies of spectrum usage and provide maximum flexibility to content delivery.”