Ministry of Science and ICT to Showcase Excellence of Next-Generation Broadcasting Technology

Participation in the US 'NAB Show 2022', a Broadcasting Equipment Exhibition

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Hye-seon] The Ministry of Science and ICT will participate in the world's largest broadcasting equipment exhibition, the US 'NAB Show 2022', to promote the excellence of Korea's next-generation broadcasting (ATSC 3.0) technology.

'NAB Show' is the world's largest broadcasting equipment exhibition held annually since 1923, with about 1,700 companies from over 160 countries participating and approximately 100,000 visitors attending the event.

Since 2016, the Ministry of Science and ICT has established and operated a separate themed pavilion within the NAB exhibition hall to allow global broadcasting officials to directly experience next-generation broadcasting technology and domestically produced equipment.

This year as well, the Korea Radio Promotion Association (RAPA), terrestrial broadcasters (KBS·MBC), Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI), and domestic broadcasting equipment companies will jointly participate to showcase a total of 15 types of next-generation broadcasting services and related equipment, including ‘High-precision Positioning Information (RTK) Service’, ‘Multimedia Disaster Information Service’, and ‘MIMO-based 8K-UHD Service’. In particular, the themed pavilion will demonstrate the ‘ATSC 3.0-based Remote Education Service’, which has recently attracted interest from US public broadcasters.

Korea was the first in the world to broadcast terrestrial UHD in 2017, and from 2018 to 2019, domestic small and medium broadcasting companies participated in next-generation broadcasting testbeds of US broadcasters. Since 2020, various services and equipment based on ATSC 3.0 have been tested through the Jeju demonstration complex.

Through this, small and medium broadcasting equipment companies have developed ‘UHD Terrestrial Broadcasting Standard ATSC 3.0 Transmission Equipment’ and recently signed supply and support contracts with US broadcasters, continuing the overseas market expansion of domestic small and medium broadcasting equipment companies.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT has agreed to make joint efforts for the global expansion of next-generation broadcasting based on ATSC 3.0 through meetings with major US broadcasting-related organizations such as NAB (National Association of Broadcasters), ATSC (Advanced Television Systems Committee), Sinclair (US broadcaster), as well as with India's state-owned broadcaster.