DISH Network is finally making big strides towards using the massive amount of spectrum holdings that they have been accumulating over the past few years. The company just successfully tested the transmission and reception of the new broadcast ATSC 3.0 standard as part of the Spectrum Consortium, LLC’s (Spectrum Co.’s) “Next Gen” deployment project in Dallas, Texas.
According to their press release, DISH deployed its 700 MHz E Block spectrum on Spectrum Co.’s Garland, Texas, Single Frequency Network (SFN) site, as part of the country’s first major market conversion to the Next Gen broadcast standard.
Tom Cullen, DISH’s executive vice president of Corporate Development said in the release that “[They are] seeking innovative ways of bringing next generation technologies and services, like ATSC 3.0, to American consumers…This trial helps us not only pursue opportunities with ‘Next Gen’ TV technology, but also identify synergies with our IoT and future 5G plans, for example broadcasting data to connected cars.”.
Spectrum Co. is a group of major broadcasters who are leading the transition to ATSC 3.0. John Hane, the president of Spectrum Co. released a statement about DISH Network joining Spectrum, saying that “We are thrilled that one of the most innovative companies in telecom and media has joined Nexstar, Sinclair, Univision and American Tower in our Dallas SFN project. DISH’s involvement underscores that ATSC 3.0 is much more than the most transformational upgrade of broadcast television technology in history. It’s the foundation of a robust new ecosystem of advanced services. The wireless economy is quickly outgrowing one-size-fits-all solutions. We look forward to working with DISH, broadcasters and others to bring exciting new capabilities online.”.
This is the first of what is sure to be many trials as DISH gets ready to activate their spectrum holdings ahead of the deadline set by the FCC. The next generation of TV technology is on it’s way! If you have any interest in the broadcasting space at all, this is certainly a story to keep an eye on.
Sources:
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dish-successfully-trials-next-gen-broadcast-standard-in-spectrum-cos-dallas-sfn-project-300625739.html
