Sinclair plans to display an Android tablet equipped with ATSC 3.0 technology at APCO 2025.
In the realm of emergency preparedness, technology plays a crucial role. At APCO 2025, Sinclair is demonstrating how their ATSC 3.0-enabled devices, such as tablets and smartphones, can revolutionise public safety communications.
Senior Vice President for Global Public Policy and Communications at Sinclair, McFadden, emphasised the potential benefits of combining broadcast resilience with the ubiquity of mobile devices. He highlighted that wireless carriers' networks can be less resilient during emergencies compared to broadcast networks.
One significant example is the aftermath of Hurricane Helene in Western North Carolina, where 60 to 70% of cell sites went out of service, but Sinclair's station in Asheville remained on air.
The demonstration, held in collaboration with the AWARN Alliance and Digital Alert Systems in booth 3065, is aimed at underscoring the role ATSC 3.0 can play in public safety during emergencies.
ATSC 3.0-enabled devices offer several advantages for emergency communications. They can deliver enhanced emergency alert messages, including text, images, and video, improving situational awareness for the public. The system also supports a "wake-up bit" to activate devices from sleep during emergencies and can provide a backup terrestrial Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) as a resilient alternative to GPS for location services.
Moreover, ATSC 3.0 supports delivering emergency alerts directly to consumer devices without reliance on cellular or internet networks, ensuring alerts reach users during disasters affecting infrastructure. This feature is particularly important for areas where traditional communication networks may be compromised.
Broadcasters in North Carolina, including PBS North Carolina and Capitol Broadcasting's WNGT, have already demonstrated the ability of ATSC 3.0 digital broadcast paging to transmit emergency call data to first responders in the field.
At APCO 2025, Sinclair will showcase a NextGen TV-enabled tablet, which is not yet available for purchase. The tablet, beyond the proof-of-concept stage, is part of a large number of devices ordered by Sinclair. Sinclair has also rolled out the next-generation Mark Two smartphone since then.
Baltimore-Sinclair will debut a NextGen TV-enabled Android media tablet with integrated ATSC 3.0 receiver and antenna at APCO 2025, July 27-30. However, the company responsible for the NextGen TV-enabled tablet has not been identified.
In summary, Sinclair's demonstration at APCO 2025 underscores the value of broadcasters using ATSC 3.0 to communicate emergency alerts and information to the public. The event focuses on the consumer-facing side of emergency communications with the NextGen TV-enabled tablet and phone, marking a significant advancement in public safety communications through ubiquitous, resilient, and rich media-capable ATSC 3.0-enabled devices.
- Sinclair's Senior Vice President, McFadden, stresses the importance of combining broadcast resilience with mobile device ubiquity for emergency preparedness.
- During Hurricane Helene's aftermath, while 60 to 70% of cell sites went out of service, Sinclair's station in Asheville remained on air.
- The collaboration between Sinclair, AWARN Alliance, and Digital Alert Systems at APCO 2025 is aimed at highlighting ATSC 3.0's role in public safety during emergencies.
- ATSC 3.0-enabled devices can deliver enhanced emergency alerts, including text, images, and video, improving public situational awareness.
- The system supports a "wake-up bit" to activate devices during emergencies and can provide a backup terrestrial Broadcast Positioning System (BPS) as a resilient alternative to GPS for location services.
- ATSC 3.0 can deliver emergency alerts directly to consumer devices without relying on cellular or internet networks, ensuring they reach users during infrastructure-affecting disasters.
- Broadcasters in North Carolina, such as PBS North Carolina and Capitol Broadcasting's WNGT, have already demonstrated ATSC 3.0's ability to transmit emergency call data to first responders in the field.
