Transmits Terrestrial Broadcast Signals Using MEC
SK Telecom announced on Dec. 29 that it succeeded in transmitting terrestrial broadcast signals using its mobile edge computing (MEC) and virtualization technologies in Washington, D.C. of the United States on Dec. 28 (local time).
This demonstration was conducted in the Arlington area near Washington, D.C., jointly with Sinclair Broadcasting Group, the largest terrestrial broadcasting group in North America, and CAST.ERA, a media technology joint venture between SK Telecom and Sinclair.
Using ATSC 3.0 standard radio waves based on SK Telecom’s Media Edge platform, SK Telecom conducted communications with a running vehicle through WIAV-CD, a local broadcasting system operated by Sinclair.
The event was attended by Sinclair chairman David Smith, SK Telecom CEO Yoo Young-sang, and CAST.ERA officials. They exchanged opinions on a cooperation plan related to next-generation broadcasting services.
This demonstration attracted a lot of interest from local broadcasters in that it implemented next-generation services by using existing transmission networks of U.S. broadcasting companies.
MEC enables ultra-low latency communication by significantly reducing the distance of data transmission through the deployment of small-scale data centers at the base station located in proximity to users. MEC is being highlighted as an essential technology for specialized 5G services such as smart factories, autonomous driving and immersive media.
SK Telecom is advancing high-quality broadcast video conversion technology using MEC and its AI semiconductor Sapeon in cooperation with Sinclair and CAST.ERA, and plans to steadily strengthen cooperation to advance next-generation convergence broadcasting services.