Boston TV Station to Test 5G Broadcast Platform

Multiple initiatives have explored using ATSC 3.0, the next-gen broadcast TV signaling standard, to bring to bear a new, national over-the-air IP pipe. But, so far, those promises have yet to evolve into tangible, real-world breakthroughs.

Meanwhile, there's a new angle being explored that aims to combine over-the-air TV broadcasting with 5G.

A group of broadcast industry vets hope to turn that idea into reality by enabling potentially thousands of low-power TV (LPTV) stations to broadcast 5G signals. That, in turn, would put the effort in position to utilize the global 5G standard rather than the more regionally focused ATSC 3.0 standard.

The idea has grand ambitions but will start small. On June 12, Boston-based LPTV station WWOO-LD filed for an experimental license with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to test a 5G broadcast system. The system, which will use UHF frequencies, will deliver data one-way (downstream-only) and aim to complement existing interactive 5G cellular networks.