CHANTILLY, Va.—SpectraRep has released the results of a successful demo of the advanced emergency datacasting features of the NextGen Broadcast (ATSC 3.0) standard that was done during the 2022 U.S. Marine Corps Marathon.

Working with the Sinclair Broadcast Group/ONE Media 3.0, SpectraRep deployed its IncidentOne Datacast Solution using the NextGen Broadcast standard to deliver encrypted video, alerts, and file sharing among eight public safety agencies. 

Those agencies included the DC Department of Homeland Security & Emergency Management (DC HSEMA). All data was delivered securely over-the-air without the need for internet or wireless data transmission (LTE) services via SpectraRep’s proprietary IncidentOne Datacast Solution to support a robust security environment, the company said. 

IncidentOne Datacast is an enterprise-grade, wireless, emergency, communications solution that uses the power of over-the-air digital television (DTV) technology to deliver operational and crisis incident data quickly and securely, the company said. 

For the Marine Corps Marathon, SpectraRep utilized ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast spectrum from their broadcast partner Sinclair Broadcast Group/ONE Media 3.0 to deliver emergency communications securely. The IncidentOne Datacast Solution layered a secure wireless network on top of existing communication procedures to facilitate interagency sharing of data during the marathon, the company reported. 

“Our work on the Marine Corps Marathon is another proof point that our datacasting technology enhances public safety communications by delivering the ability to offer reliable communications across agencies easily and efficiently during large-scale public events,” said Mark O’Brien, president of SpectraRep. “We are very proud of the strong partnership SpectraRep solutions have enabled between technology providers and broadcasters.”

Prior to the marathon, SpectraRep deployed IncidentOne Datacast software and datacasting receivers from their technology partners, DigiCAP and West Pond Technologies, in multiple capital region agency facilities and vehicles. Sites ranged from hardened command posts to mobile command vehicles deployed across the District of Columbia and Northern Virginia. Encrypted streaming video, files, and alerts were transmitted over WIAV, a Sinclair Broadcast Group NextGen Broadcast-enabled station, to agencies equipped with IncidentOne receivers connected to television antennas. Select agencies used an online dashboard to view multiple cameras from participating agencies, or received targeted video over the air, SpectraRep reported.  

“One of the most important benefits of ATSC 3.0 datacasting,” added O’Brien, “is that it is a significant enabler in the delivery of emergency information. With ATSC 3.0 datacasting, public safety departments can communicate and exchange alerts without having to rely on cellular systems that can become overloaded at large-scale events.”

Mark Aitken, president of Sinclair Broadcast Group’s technology subsidiary, One Media 3.0, noted that “The NextGen Broadcast standard is a tremendous advancement to the industry, especially when it comes to using it for emergency communications. Broadcasters around the country can provide this advanced technology to help save lives.”

The Marathon hosted over 30,000 participants involving public safety organizations from multiple states and localities. Eight local and federal agencies incorporated datacasting into their emergency management enforcement and communications toolkit.

One notable outcome of the demo was that participating agencies (including DC-DHS) successfully shared and received encrypted streaming video, targeted alerts, files, and information delivered over the air in ATSC 3.0 without internet or LTE service.

Another major takeaway was that multiple agencies were able to receive the same alerts in real time during the marathon, including one notification about a runner missing from the designated course, with description and other identifying information.

Technology partners in the datacasting project included DigiCAP Ltd., West Pond Technologies, Sinclair Broadcast Group (WIAV) and their technology group One Media 3.0, E/M Wave, Winegard, Osprey Video, and SpectraRep LLC. Key Association partners include America’s Public Television Stations (APTS), ATSC Advanced Television Systems Committee, and the NAB National Association of Broadcasters.

A case study for the project is available on the SpectraRep website. 

WASHINGTON—The Multicultural, Media Telecom and Internet Council (MMTC) and the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) have provided an outline of strategies they believe the FCC should implement to ensure multilingual populations receive critical information during emergencies, including pandemic and natural disasters.

MMTC and LULAC made two specific recommendations for the FCC to ensure that they deliver and maintain emergency communications to multilingual populations. 

The first is for communications during a pandemic, when systems are not adversely impacted. In this case, the organizations believe the FCC should survey communication providers’ resiliency, redundancy and multiple language capabilities before, during and immediately after the emergency. Based on the results, the FCC should design and implement a training regimen to assist providers in meeting the information needs of multilingual populations in the event of such an emergency.

The second recommendation focuses more on hurricanes and tornadoes that take down electric wireline or wireless grids for communication. For this MMTC and LULAC want to see the FCC adopt the “Designated Hitter” system, which ensures that at least one commercial or noncommercial full power radio station is able to remain on air during and after a hurricane with the responsibility of distributing critical multilingual information.

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Here’s what the organizations wrote about the “Designated Hitter” idea:

“For communication during and after a hurricane or tornado that takes down the electric, wireline or wireless grids -- as happened with Hurricanes Andrew (1992), Katrina (2005), Maria (2017), Florence (2018), and Michael (2018) -- the commission should adopt a radio station ‘Designated Hitter’ system. When radio is the last resort for mass communication, the Designated Hitter paradigm contemplates that at least one commercial or noncommercial full power radio station, able to remain on the air during and after a hurricane, will have arranged in advance to broadcast life-saving multilingual information.

“Initially, these arrangements would be made in radio markets that have no more than one full service in-language station (defined as a commercial full power FM, or an AM with at least 1 kw day and night) and where there are more than 50,000 persons likely to speak the target language). This paradigm is necessary if one or more grids go down, leaving radio stations with generators as the only channels capable of mass communication. The ‘Designated Hitter’ concept is the only method that can pre-arrange and generally assure the provision of life-saving multilingual information during and after a hurricane or tornado.”

With the COVID-19 pandemic still impacting the country and hurricane season scheduled to start on June 1, the two groups say that a multilingual emergency communications system is needed immediately.

In addition to pandemic, hurricanes and tornadoes, MMTC and LULAC also indicate other types of emergencies that such services would be needed, including floods, bombings or terrorist attacks and nuclear meltdown or nuclear bombs.

“The Commission’s top priority should be meeting the urgent information needs of America’s

often isolated and disadvantaged multilingual populations while under COVID-19,” the letter to the FCC reads. “That means, initially, that the Commission should ensure that its regulatees possess the capabilities and expertise needed to deliver in-language service to those who will need it the most.

“We are hopeful that upon appreciating the urgency of action in light of COVID-19, the industries that provide emergency communications would consider not imposing objections, and would instead work collaboratively with MMTC and LULAC to protect those who are the most vulnerable.”

BALTIMORE—A group of broadcast industry players and technology providers spearheaded by ONE Media and Sinclair Broadcast Group will demonstrate how the public safety community can leverage ATSC 3.0 to improve secure transmission of encrypted IP data and video during the APCO 2019 Annual Conference & Exposition, Aug. 11-15 at the Baltimore Convention Center.

The group, which also includes SpectraRep, Sonim and Saankhya Labs, will demonstrate how broadcast spectrum can be shared across a nationwide network to offer emergency control centers a means to distribute live video and rich media in the same way broadcasters transmit video and data via Next Gen TV.

“We will be demonstrating ATSC 3.0 through various devices with Saankhya [Labs] dongles,” said ONE Media President Mark Aitken.

The demonstrations, which will take place at the SpectraRep booth (No. 676) at the conference, will rely on ATSC 3.0 signals transmitted by Sinclair.

The demos will show attendees real-world applications for 3.0 in emergency communications, including:

• A means to connect to instant Skype-to-broadcast television distribution, enabling community leaders to have immediate access to local broadcast TV transmission in the event of an emergency;
• The ability to transform cell phones into a satellite video phone via a Saankhya Labs attachment;
• A way to receive high-power TV transmissions from an emergency ops center or local TV station via a mobile phone using a small Saankhya Labs dongle; and
• The means to control a 3.0 network remotely via a DigiCAP gateway to manage the TV signal from the ONE Media lab in Hunts Valley, Md.

Aitken sees the APCO exhibit and demonstrations as another chance to raise an important question: Why aren’t 3.0 receivers being built into wireless phones?

“We continue to have people scratching their heads on the Hill, in state houses and governors’ associations, asking, ‘You can demonstrate this capability. So why isn’t it in wireless telephones today?’” he says. “I don’t know that there is an exact answer to that yet, but we are going to get to that answer.”

ATSC 3.0 was designed with features giving the public access to advanced emergency alerts and information. They include the ability to geotarget warnings to those in the path of danger; a way to “wake up” Next Gen TV sets to display emergency information; the conveyance of rich multimedia to supplement warnings with added information, such as evacuation maps; and the ability to rely on the resiliency of broadcast infrastructure in broadcast markets, which repeatedly has proven its ability to endure natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes.

Founded in 1935, APCO, the Association of Public-Safety Communications Officials-International, is the oldest and largest organization of public safety communications professionals.

More information about the annual gathering is available on the APCO website.

For a comprehensive source of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see ourATSC3 silo.