Sinclair launches “Broadspan” datacasting platform

Sinclair, Inc. announced the launch of its “Broadspan” datacasting platform to enable data distribution capability across all current Sinclair NextGen Broadcast (ATSC 3.0) markets where it serves as the host station. Edgio, Inc., a leading content delivery network, will become the first commercial partner of the Broadspan datacasting platform.

This marks an exciting step forward for broadcasters and consumers and begins to fulfill the promise of digital convergence offered by ATSC 3.0. It opens the door to multiple new business opportunities for broadcasters and greatly enhanced efficiency for data distribution.

Using a broadcaster’s ATSC 3.0 channel, the Broadspan platform will allow businesses to distribute files, updates, or video over the air to any device with a 3.0 receiver – cars, tablets, phones, or television sets. Data delivery relies on the newly designed broadcast core network. This infrastructure provides the means to link all available ATSC 3.0 spectrum intelligently from multiple stations to deliver the customer’s data quickly, efficiently, and securely.

Broadspan’s straightforward customer experience allows for easy and seamless data distribution planning with an intuitive and streamlined ordering and tracking process. Customers can immediately visualize the network availability across markets and submit a distribution request tailored to their needs. They will have a full picture of the path their data will take through the broadcast network. The provisioning system also gives customers real-time visibility into the status of their data distribution request, allowing them to confirm the scheduling, and if enabled, see the validation of the data delivery on the receiving systems.

Edgio is the initial commercial partner of the Broadspan system. It will use the Broadspan platform to deliver a true 4K experience to viewers, by supplementing streaming over the internet with over-the-air data. This takes advantage of the unique capability of ATSC 3.0 to converge broadcast and broadband seamlessly. Broadspan’s ability to deliver the extra bits to the customer over the air is a game changer. It will be able to offload significant video and audio data from the internet, reducing congestion and enhancing user experience while allowing increased bitrates without any loss of service.

“Broadspan’s customer-centric data delivery provisioning platform provides an elegant, cost-effective tool to move data easily. It leverages the remarkably reliable and efficient one-to-many broadcast architecture to provide a new option for data users,” said Del Parks, Sinclair’s President of Technology.

Eric Black CTO and GM of Media at Edgio said, “Sinclair’s pioneering leadership in ATSC 3.0 enables this groundbreaking innovation. By leveraging ATSC 3.0’s convergence of broadcast and broadband, we are delivering a true 4K experience. Broadspan isn’t just a game changer; it’s a paradigm shift in defining immersive entertainment.”

U.S. broadcasters, including commercial and non-commercial station operators, have deployed NextGen Broadcast service to date across the U.S. in over 70 markets covering nearly 75% of the country’s population. Linking those markets and stations to allocate data capacity efficiently among potential data customers is essential in establishing broadcasting as a competitive data distribution platform. Broadspan provides the means to easily use that network.

This new datacasting platform is a win-win for the entire ecosystem – customers can enhance their choices for efficient data distribution at a lower cost per bit and broadcasters can create additional revenues to support their investments in local news production.

Aside from Edgio’s use of the Broadspan platform for a cost-efficient supplement to data off-loading, others can use the new platform to supplement and enhance their IP data distribution tools. These would include automotive connectivity services (software updates, infotainment, precision navigation, and safety enhancements), software updates for “edge-heavy” industries like building/industrial automation, and critical infrastructure support. Data can be accurately and seamlessly distributed across local, regional, or the national market and delivered using low-band spectrum, propagating further and penetrating buildings better than other wireless bands.

Using ATSC 3.0 to deliver data across the country from 210 DMAs has significant financial and technical advantages compared to utilizing hundreds of thousands of wireless sites. As an example, to update the software, navigation systems and safety software of the 280 million cars in the U.S. using the current telecom network, each vehicle requires an individual phone number and a single dedicated data path. Using the broadcast capability of Broadspan, these updates can be delivered within minutes, not weeks, and would unload the traffic off the cellular network. Using data delivered by broadcast, an automotive company can send an identical file to those same 280 million vehicles at one time – rather than sending the same file individually to those same millions of vehicles. This should reduce costs by billions of dollars and result in significantly improved customer experiences. In addition, this technology, when fully deployed, will deliver enhanced audio and video entertainment to these vehicles. This same technology and system can also be used across multiple industries to provide efficient connectivity to billions of future devices.

Said Skip Flenniken, Sinclair’s Vice President & General Manager, Technology Business Development, “Data Distribution is the powerful next step in the evolution of broadcasting. While continuing to provide exceptional and enhanced video programming, we now have the capability to repurpose a portion of our spectrum to meet the needs of data users on market-disrupting terms. Broadspan is a simple and convenient way for customers to access that capability.” Business Wire