LAS VEGAS—“ATSC 3.0 is digital TV on steroids,” declared Alessandro Annoni, broadcast-distribution manager for Rohde & Schwarz USA, as he laid out a blueprint for powering tomorrow’s LPTV networks. Speaking at ATBA’s LPTV Day, Annoni urged station owners to pivot away from “one big stick on a hill” and toward dense, software-driven single-frequency networks (SFNs) that can simultaneously carry UHD video, datacasting and even a broadcast positioning system (BPS)—all on the same 6 MHz slice. 00008
From Kilowatts to Kilobytes
Annoni said the OFDM waveform behind ATSC 3.0 thrives on “lots of low-power transmitters in the city, not a few megawatt beacons in the suburbs.” That architecture is already paying off in Las Vegas, where Rohde & Schwarz gear is feeding a live ATSC 3.0 datacasting service at the Rio Hotel—proof, he stressed, that bandwidth-for-hire is “a monetizable business case today, not a science project.” 00008
Broadcast Positioning: A GPS Backup the Pentagon Can Love
Why gamble on an SFN? Because three synchronized transmitters on one frequency can deliver meter-grade location indoors—something satellite GPS cannot match. “Every tractor in America, every nuclear plant, every 911 call depends on timing and position,” Annoni reminded the room. “GPS can be jammed; 3.0 BPS gives the nation a hardened fallback.” Field trials now running on LPTV sticks in Washington, D.C. and Baltimore show the concept works, he added, and security concerns could accelerate nationwide build-outs—and funding.
Future-Proof or Fall Behind
The heart of the plan is a new generation of software-based exciters. Traditional FPGA-only transmitters “lock you into whatever features you bought on Day One,” Annoni warned. By contrast, a containerized, x86 core lets engineers unlock new apps—BPS, targeted ads, interactive services—“with a license key instead of a forklift upgrade.” Stations clinging to 1.0-era boxes may find the cost of retrofits outweighs the price of a fresh, IP-native rig.
Key Takeaways for ATBA Members
- Plan an SFN now. Lower power plus more sites equals better urban penetration, seamless mobility and the three-tower geometry BPS demands.
- Buy software, not metal. A CPU-driven exciter keeps your cap-ex flat while your feature set grows.
- Leverage datacasting early. Hospitality, venue and public-safety partners will pay for bulk data pipes long before viewers demand 4K.
- Think “ground coverage,” not just “households passed.” If positioning and IoT services drive the next revenue wave, reaching streets and skyscraper basements matters as much as rooftops.
“We are already halfway through the test phase,” Annoni concluded. “When security, emergency services and telcos start writing the checks, you’ll want a transmitter that can say yes to every new application.”
For LPTV owners weighing when—and how—to jump into ATSC 3.0, the message was clear: invest in flexible transmission today, and you’ll be ready to monetize whatever tomorrow demands.
