WWOO launching 5G TV station
September 11, 2023
On September 13th, a 24/7 5G broadcast channel will go live in the US on WWOO, Boston’s first 5G broadcast digital television station, channel 28, broadcasting from One Beacon Street. This experimental channel, licensed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), is setting the stage for HD programming and game-changing advances in public safety and emergency response
WWOO-LD, will launch the 5G broadcast from an antenna at the top of One Beacon Street, airing NASA TV and First Responder encrypted data. The debut of this broadcast aims to confirm 5G’s ability to provide both a programming channel and a platform that can reliably reach First Responders and the public when traditional communication networks fail.
Pending the successful proof of concept, First Responders will have a new outlet to communicate critical information to the public– from tornado warnings to Red Alerts, with a 5G broadcast that keeps delivering even when cellphone service fails. During normal cellular operation, 5G broadcasting can push alerts to mass targets in under one second, getting critical information out about a missing child or safety threat when every second counts. Additionally, when cellphone service is challenged by excessive use like during a sporting event, concert, parade, or other mass gathering, 5G broadcasting can reach users faster, delivering timely content and the most reliable public safety instructions and updates via its own frequencies directly to the user.
For those with an SDR, a software-defined radio system, WWOO can be received live on UHF channel 28 in the Boston area.
Following the launch and pilot and continuing development, this technology is expected to be broadly available in late 2024.
The 5G Broadcast deployment uses an Ateme encoder, a Westpond Technologies data encoder, Rohde & Schwarz broadcast chain, an exciter, a component that enhances the signal, a transmitter, and Qualcomm development smartphones powered by Nakolos smartphone apps.