Korea-US Broadcasting Boundaries Collapse... Expectations for K-Media Export Breakthrough

Korean SK Telecom and US Sinclair Joint Project
Government Agencies, Broadcasters, and Partner Companies
Next-Generation Broadcasting Service Demonstration and Exhibition in Jeju on the 2nd
Export Promotion with Over 20 Domestic Media Small Giants

On the 2nd, SK Telecom demonstrated next-generation 5G-ATSC3.0 converged broadcasting service in Jeju Island. The photo shows Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, Han Sang-hyuk, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and Kim Yoon, CTO of SK Telecom, attending the demonstration event. Photo by 최기영

[Asia Economy Reporter Cha Min-young] Real-time broadcasting transmission and reception will become possible beyond the physical distance between Korea and the United States. With the advancement of 5th generation (5G) and artificial intelligence (AI)-based communication technologies, exporting Korean content will become easier, accelerating the overseas expansion of domestic media small and medium enterprises.

On the 2nd, SK Telecom demonstrated and showcased next-generation 5G-ATSC3.0 converged broadcasting services in Jeju Island together with the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Korea Communications Commission, the Korea Radio Promotion Association, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute, Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, broadcasters, and partner companies.

The demonstration event was attended by key figures including Choi Ki-young, Minister of Science and ICT, Han Sang-hyuk, Chairman of the Korea Communications Commission, Won Hee-ryong, Governor of Jeju Special Self-Governing Province, and executives from broadcasting companies.

ATSC 3.0 is a UHD broadcasting standard established by the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), the U.S. digital TV broadcasting standardization organization. In addition to video and audio, it can carry data on the frequency, enabling high-speed transmission of high-definition video.

Broadcast Video Resolution Upgraded from HD to Full HD

SK Telecom and Castdotera, a media tech joint venture of Sinclair, the largest terrestrial broadcaster in the U.S., played a central role in this demonstration, successfully developing world-class broadcasting services based on 5G cloud, MEC (Mobile Edge Computing), and AI technologies.

First, Castdotera demonstrated on-site the real-time conversion of broadcast video transmitted in HD quality from Las Vegas, USA, to Full HD (twice the resolution of HD) at the Jeju event venue, received on an ATSC3.0 TV using an AI upscaler.

The AI upscaler enhanced the broadcast video resolution from the existing HD to Full HD through rapid computation processing of the AI learning engine. The frame rate was upgraded from 30 frames per second to 240 frames per second, the color gamut from SDR to HDR, and the format from ATSC1.0 to ATSC3.0. This technology can significantly contribute to the popularization of 4K (UHD) content in Korea.

Park Kyung-mo (male), CTO of Castdotera, is demonstrating the 5G-ATSC3.0 converged broadcasting service at Hotel Nanta in Jeju on the 2nd. Castdotera is a media tech joint venture established by SK Telecom and Sinclair, the largest terrestrial broadcaster in the United States, playing a pivotal role in this demonstration.

Castdotera plans to commercialize this technology within the year at Sinclair’s U.S. broadcasting stations and is also considering upgrading related infrastructure by applying ‘SAPEON,’ Korea’s first AI semiconductor for data centers developed by SK Telecom.

Additionally, through a cloud and MEC-based ‘ATSC3.0 broadcasting virtualization platform,’ they unveiled technology that centrally operates and remotely controls transmission systems of broadcasting stations nationwide. This signifies the expansion of SK Telecom’s virtualization platform communication technology, which operates nationwide communication networks based on software, into the broadcasting domain.

Previously, even within a single broadcasting company, each regional station had to build expensive dedicated transmission equipment separately, which required physical control by personnel. With this technology, efficient centralized control and operation become possible using only more affordable general-purpose equipment and software systems.

Furthermore, Castdotera introduced ultra-low latency OTT technology that allows watching broadcasts on smartphones without interruption, just like on TV. Currently, live broadcasts on smartphone apps are viewed with a delay of over 9 seconds compared to TV, but this technology reduces that delay to zero. They also revealed a solution that inserts personalized advertisements tailored to each OTT user during commercial breaks in TV programs.

They demonstrated a high-precision location information service that transmits GPS positioning correction data over ATSC3.0 broadcast frequencies to drones in flight. Currently, the distance recognition error range of drones flying based on GPS location information is about 1 to 2 meters, but correction data reduces this to 10 cm. This technology is highly applicable in the Korean and U.S. markets, where key ICT industries such as unmanned delivery and smart agriculture are emerging.

Entry into Korea and the U.S. within the Year... Export with Domestic Media SMEs

SK Telecom plans to supply and apply the latest media platform technologies unveiled this time to broadcasting stations in Korea and the U.S. within the year through Castdotera, the business entity. They will also fully resume business in the U.S. market, which was severely impacted by COVID-19, and expand the application of ATSC3.0-based solutions to major Sinclair broadcasting stations in the U.S.

In the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting environment, various types of data can be transmitted via broadcast frequencies, and heterogeneous convergence of broadcasting and communication networks becomes possible. For this reason, U.S. broadcasters are preparing various new media services that utilize the advantages of broadcast frequencies, which have a wider reach and lower operating costs than communication frequencies.

Castdotera plans to actively promote overseas exports in partnership with about 20 domestic media SMEs, including Kaimedia, ATVIS, Digicap, and Hansigancom, which have participated in K-media technology development for years and collaborated in this event, aiming for mutual growth.

Kim Yoon, CTO of SK Telecom, said, “5G, AI, and cloud technologies are changing the future of the global media industry,” adding, “Castdotera, which combines SK Telecom’s technology and Sinclair’s service competitiveness, will lead the global media tech solution market.”

Dels Park, CTO of Sinclair Broadcast Group, emphasized, “Castdotera’s cloud and AI-based broadcasting solutions will be introduced to the U.S. market soon,” and “We expect the future corporate value and business potential of U.S. broadcasters to increase significantly.”

Meanwhile, SK Telecom implemented the world’s first 5G-ATSC3.0 broadcasting service inside a moving vehicle in Jeju in June 2019 in collaboration with Sinclair Broadcast Group, the largest terrestrial broadcaster in the U.S., and has since been dedicated to developing the latest broadcasting services combining 5G and AI, using Jeju Technopark as a global testbed.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.