WASHINGTON—ATSC took an important step in the development of Broadcast-to-Everything (B2X) with approval of a candidate standard for the emerging platform.
The approval is an initial step in advancing ATSC’s vision of enabling broadcast and mobile technologies to work closely together, advancing the effort to extend the reach and efficiency of broadcast to connected devices, networks and services and to make it possible for unicast networks to take advantage of broadcasting’s one-to-many architecture, the standards body said.
“ATSC is committed to advancing broadcast technologies that meet the evolving needs of our industry and create new opportunities for broadcasters, technology companies and consumers,” ATSC President Madeleine Noland said. “The progress on B2X is a strong example of that commitment.
“By bringing together expertise from across the broadcast and mobile ecosystems, ATSC is helping define how broadcast can evolve, and work alongside other networks as an essential part of the communications landscape,” she said.
“B2X System Discovery and Signaling” (S44-2-002r6) was approved by ATSC Technology Group 3. It provides an essential building block for devices to find and connect with future B2X services.
B2X could create new opportunities for broadcasters, wireless providers, device manufacturers, technology companies and service developers while opening new markets for broadcast-based services. It looks to leverage broadcast’s ability to simultaneously deliver the same information or content to a large number of receivers and complement mobile broadband networks in reaching connected devices.
“B2X can bring together broadcast efficiency in the mobile ecosystem, create new business opportunities, and ultimately extend advanced services to a broader range of devices, including very low-power devices, such as wearables or remote sensors,” said Joe Fabiano, chief technology officer of EdgeBeam Wireless and chair of the TG3 Specialist Group on B2X.
B2X is being developed to explore how broadcast can become part of that broader communications environment, complementing other networks rather than operating separately from them.
Candidate standard status moves B2X from internal development toward broader industry evaluation and implementation. It gives companies and organizations, regardless of ATSC membership, the chance to review the specification, evaluate its implementation and provide feedback.
The candidate standard is available on the ATSC website.
