Startup Eyes US ATSC 3.0-Based Wireless Video

and markets with a monopolistic MVPD. Edge is on-air with 3.0 on low-power stations in Boise it’s leasing from Cocola Broadcasting, KBSE-LD Channel 33 and KCBB-LB Channel 34, said Achilles. Those will be the keystone of a hybrid over-the-air/IP 3.0 commercial service launch this summer to homes in the Boise designated market area, accessible through a set-top box Edge is developing, he said. The set-top will have built-in internet connectivity, two dual OTA ATSC 1.0/3.0 tuners, plus onboard storage, said Achilles. Edge wants to price its service offering at about half that of the $109 average monthly U.S. cable bill. With executive stints with HTC and T-Mobile, “I’ve been through a bunch of these transitions in the mobile space,” said Achilles. He regards 3.0 as “the most efficient wireless protocol,” he said. “What we’ve done is basically built a pay-TV model around a foundation of 3.0,” and is aiming its focus on second- and third-tier markets around the U.S. “that are just chronically underserved by the legacy providers,” he said. The startup doesn’t “aspire to do a 200-channel bundle” but rather an offering of 80-100 channels that’s somewhat “curated for what works” in individual markets, said Achilles. That’s “one of the things that differentiates us in our approach” compared with “the big national virtual MVPDs,” said Achilles. Hulu Live and YouTube TV offer “this overarching national bundle that applies to all markets,” he said. The wireless veteran doesn’t think there’s “a good market opportunity” in the U.S. for 3.0 reception in smartphones, he said.