A next-generation TV broadcast system built on already-available technologies and...

3.0 initiative. The group is looking at ways to incorporate a back-channel to broadcast TV service and combine broadband and broadcast features. “A flexible next-generation system is essential -- one that can continue to grow as technology and demand advance,” the report said. “One method for achieving such flexibility is the decoupling of the next-generation system’s layers from one another, as has proven effective in accommodating ongoing development for digital networking systems,” it said. “Evaluation of proposals going forward should favor steps that provide the fewest restrictions to future growth,” it said. The report identified several areas for further study, including whether ATSC 3.0 would replace or augment existing legacy ATSC services. It also suggested looking at the entire content-delivery ecosystem, including pay-TV providers, wireless broadband distributors and ISPs. “ATSC 3.0 scope should include not just broadcasters’ own OTA application,” it said. It will be critical to develop a transition plan, along the lines of the original DTV transition plan, to move from an ATSC 2.0 to ATSC 3.0 framework, the report said. “It is important to consider that available ’transition spectrum’ (as in the analog-to-digital transition) will diminish over time as the need for spectrum increases,” it said. But the report was hesitant to forecast a timeframe for the transition. “Perhaps even more challenging than forecasting what technologies will arise in the future is specifying when they will arrive at sufficient maturity to be deployed for viable consumer service,” it said. “Technical, business and regulatory developments may all influence the specific timeframes for the ATSC 3.0 era.”