Well, it looks like the new ATSC 3.0 OTA TV standard may start rolling out sooner than first expected. Today the FCC announced that the final rule needed for 3.0 OTA TV could be finalized tomorrow February 2nd, 2018. 30 days after that rule is final full powered ATSC 3.0 rollout can start to roll out.
Don’t look for this to come to your area this year though as we are still looking at a 2019-2020 as the goal to roll out 3.0 OTA nationwide. Though Pheonix, AZ and Cincinnati, OH will be some of the first to see 3.0 OTA as they will serve as test markets sometime in the spring of 2018.
10 Phoenix television stations have announced plans to launch 3.0 TV. These stations include the local ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, CW, Telemundo, Univision, UniMas, and MyTV stations. Phoenix will, therefore, be the first city in the United States to offer 3.0 TV.
The plan is to have the 10 stations share broadcasts towers with some remaining at the current standard offering simulcasts of the 3.0 broadcast for older TVs. Other stations will offer broadcasts of the 3.0 standard. This way no one is forced to upgrade for an additional five years. According to the report, the first broadcasts in 3.0 could come as early as spring 2018.
Source: Multichannel News
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