WASHINGTON – December 3, 2020 – America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) president and CEO Patrick Butler issued the following statement today supporting the Federal Communications Commission’s endorsement of new ATSC 3.0 “broadcast internet” services ranging from distance learning to public safety communications and more.
“America’s Public Television Stations strongly urge the Commission to adopt its proposed Broadcast Internet Order to promote innovation, experimentation, and greater use of broadcast television spectrum, including spectrum licensed to public television stations, through the provision of Broadcast Internet services.
“APTS believes the critical importance of Broadcast Internet services has never been clearer than during the pandemic our country is experiencing, particularly for those Americans who are unserved or underserved by broadband wireless services.
“Datacasting, the process of delivering internet protocol (IP) data over a traditional broadcast television signal, has the potential to change the remote learning landscape for children and educators in rural, low-income and internet desert communities because of its ability to deliver digital instructional content and educational resources that would normally require an internet connection. And this datacasting service can be provided at a minimal cost to consumers with Wi-Fi datacasting receivers that are ATSC 3.0 compatible.
“The transition to Next Gen TV will greatly enhance datacasting, truly creating Broadcast Internet services in education, public safety, telehealth, precision agriculture, homeland security and more. While the continued deployment of broadband and internet access for all students in our country is critical, public television datacasting and Next Gen Internet are an important part of the educational and technological ecosystem to ensure all students receive the most robust educational experiences that can be provided.”
###
About APTS
America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) is a nonprofit membership organization ensuring a strong and financially sound public television system and helping member stations provide essential public services in education, public safety and civic leadership to the American people. For more information, visit www.apts.org.
Contact:
Stacey Karp
202-654-4222
skarp@apts.org