SK Telecom, Sinclair Group launch ATSC 3.0 NEXTGEN TV business in US | Infrastructure | News | Rapid TV News
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Just right after a CES where the new broadcast technology standard was a leading topic, ATSC 3.0 has been given a huge boost by means of a new US joint venture between SK Telecom and Sinclair Broadcast Group.
Cast.era SKTelecom Sinclair 13Jan2020
Through the new venture, SK Telecom and Sinclair expect to achieve synergies by combining SK Telecom’s telecommunication technologies and Sinclair’s broadcasting infrastructure. Projecting that all television stations in the US will ultimately deploy services using the new ATSC 3.0 standard, the two companies will actively pursue opportunities in the US market. At CES 2020, SK Telecom showcased news and sports broadcasting through the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting solution by receiving Sinclair’s television station (KSNV) in Las Vegas.

Cast.era intends to build a cloud infrastructure for ATSC 3.0 broadcasting by applying SK Telecom’s cloud technologies including mobile edge computing (MEC), cloud structure management technology named SKT All Container Orchestrator (TACO) and virtual network solution named Simply Overlay Network Architecture (SONA) to Sinclair’s broadcasting systems. SK Telecom’s cloud infrastructure will permit virtualised and automated merging of both Internet and broadcast platforms using centralised services. Based on MEC technologies, Cast.era plans to introduce new media services applied with augmented reality.

Cast.era will also focus on introducing ultra-low latency OTT broadcasting services based on SK Telecom’s mobile MPEG Media Transport (MMT) technologies that enable transmission of high-definition video for diverse multimedia applications, such as Sinclair’s local news and sports content.

The two companies also agreed to work together for further advancement of high-quality broadcasting services based on 5G and ATSC 3.0. They plan to establish a 5G-ATSC 3.0 testbed in Jeju Technopark in Korea and also apply 5G-ATSC 3.0 solutions to Sinclair’s television station (WJLA) located in Washington, DC.

SK Telecom and Sinclair will make joint efforts for standardisation of technologies at international standardisation bodies including ATSC, 3GPP and MPEG and Cast.era will also aim to secure a competitive edge in the future advertising market by adding targeted advertising to TV broadcasting based on big data analytics.

“We are confident that Cast.era will lead the ATSC 3.0 market in the U.S,” said Lee Jong-min, vice president and head of tech innovation group of SK Telecom. “We expect to deliver a new experience to US TV viewers through ATSC 3.0-based broadcasting services that combine the strengths of mobile and broadcasting networks.”

“The combination of two of the world’s leading telecom companies with independent and complementary visions of convergence marks Cast.era as a formidable new player in maximising the strengths of both, using the remarkable capabilities of the new broadcast standard,” said Del Parks, chief technology officer of Sinclair. “With our partners in Cast.era, we look forward to remaining at the forefront of platform and service innovation.”