ITU adopts ATSC 3.0 as recommended digital broadcast standard
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Editor
| 02 January 2020

In a development that the digital television standards organisation says will open the door to worldwide deployments, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has adopted ATSC 3.0 as a recommended digital broadcast benchmark.

Based on the same IP-based technology used by over-the-top services, ATSC 3.0 is designed to expand flexibility and adaptability for broadcasters, allowing them to transmit data that will both enhance TV broadcasts. It is designed to deliver broadcasts from 4K Ultra HD to mobile signals, enabling new business models and giving consumers a better experience.

ATSC 3.0 is currently commercially deployed in South Korea and US commercial deployment begins in earnest during 2020.

“With initial US deployments in place, we’re anticipating the first announcements of consumer receivers for the US market in the coming days,” said ATSC board chairman Lynn Claudy, senior VP of technology for the National Association of Broadcasters, regarding the announcement. “The decision by the ITU is yet another signal that digital terrestrial broadcasting has a bright future ahead.”

The next step in the development is to update the ITU Digital Handbook with best practices for implementation of ATSC 3.0.