SKT Achieves North American Terrestrial Broadcast Success with 5G MEC and Cloud-Based Technology

Yu Young-sang, SKT CEO (left), and David Smith, Sinclair Chairman (right), watching a live demonstration of ATSC 3.0 standard service in the Arlington area near Washington D.C. Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Suyeon Oh] SK Telecom announced on the 28th that it successfully transmitted terrestrial broadcasting using mobile edge computing (MEC) and virtualization technology in collaboration with Sinclair, the largest terrestrial broadcasting group in North America, and Cast.era, a media tech company under SK Square, in Washington D.C., USA.

The demonstration was conducted in Arlington, near Washington D.C., utilizing ATSC 3.0 (the UHD broadcasting standard established by the U.S. digital TV broadcasting standardization organization) signals applied with SKT’s ‘Media Edge’ platform, communicating with vehicles in motion through Sinclair’s local broadcaster WIAV-CD.

The next-generation converged broadcasting service combined ATSC 3.0 broadcasting and 5G communication, enabling stable high-definition TV broadcasting while driving and rapid reception of region-customized data information via the communication network upon reaching designated areas.

Attendees at the site included David Smith, Chairman of Sinclair; Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom; and representatives from Cast.era. They experienced the service firsthand and exchanged opinions on cooperation plans related to next-generation broadcasting services.

This demonstration attracted significant attention from local broadcasting officials as it implemented next-generation services using the existing transmission network of a U.S. broadcaster.

By applying the ‘Media Edge’ platform, regional broadcasters across North America can efficiently operate broadcasting services at hundreds of local stations using only general-purpose equipment and virtualization software systems without large-scale investments such as installing dedicated equipment. It is expected to greatly reduce the cost burden associated with the introduction of next-generation broadcasting services in the future.

Additionally, the ‘Media Edge’ platform, based on two-way communication through 5G networks, supports real-time high-definition TV viewing, real-time alerts for disasters and emergencies, and region-customized advertising services, making it suitable for in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) services.

SKT developed the ‘Media Edge’ platform, used for media service provision as one of the industry-specific services of 5G MEC’s ‘Edge Cloud,’ and virtualized the broadcasting station transmission system to improve operational efficiency.

Cast.era built the ATSC 3.0 broadcasting transmission system based on SKT’s ‘Media Edge’ platform and succeeded in the world’s first ATSC 3.0 terrestrial broadcasting transmission using edge cloud virtualization technology in collaboration with KBS last May.

SKT is advancing broadcasting video high-quality conversion technology using MEC technology and AI semiconductor SAPEON in cooperation with Sinclair and Cast.era, and will continue to strengthen collaboration to enhance next-generation converged broadcasting services.

Lee Dong-gi, head of SK Telecom’s Cloud MEC Tech, said, “With the successful demonstration of in-vehicle ATSC 3.0 mobile broadcasting, we expect SKT’s advanced media technology to play a leading role in accelerating the digital transformation of broadcasting systems worldwide.”

Park Kyung-mo, CTO of Cast.era, said, “Introducing the mobile broadcasting virtualization transmission platform, which combines the top technologies of Sinclair, a leading North American broadcaster in next-generation broadcasting service innovation, and SKT, for the first time in the U.S., is expected to mark the official start of next-generation broadcasting innovation.”

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