Gray Media, Nexstar, E.W. Scripps and Sinclair Broadcast have launched an ATSC 3.0 joint venture focused on delivering data using broadcast signals. Called Edgebeam Wireless, the new company will “provide expansive, reliable, and secure data delivery services,” said a joint news release Tuesday. It was launched ahead of the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, the release said. Financial details of the joint venture weren’t disclosed. Combining four of the country’s largest broadcasters, the new entity “creates a spectrum footprint that no individual broadcaster could achieve on its own,” and allows “nationwide coverage for data delivery to billions of potential devices,” the release said. Nexstar and Sinclair also own Bitpath, another ATSC 3.0 joint venture focused on datacasting, founded in 2018. “Our vision is to be at the forefront of the wireless revolution, harnessing the power of ATSC 3.0 to establish a nationwide broadcast data network,” said BitPath’s website. "BitPath’s efforts will be integrated into this new JV—the formation of the JV joins together all the efforts of these four broadcasters to build and utilize this nationwide network ATSC 3.0 network," said a Nexstar spokesperson. Edgebeam will represent an increased effort and focus on datacasting, a broadcast executive told us. EdgeBeam “will be able to deliver data across the country to any civilian or military device with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, such as cars and trucks, drones, marine vessels, phones, tablets, and television sets,” the release said. Potential applications for data delivery include connected cars, content delivery, and high-accuracy enhanced GPS, businesses where the companies have existing efforts. Sinclair announced a deal to deliver 4K video content at the 2024 NAB Show (see 2404150031), while BitPath offers a precision GPS service called Navpath. Nexstar and Scripps have also long been working on experimental efforts using datacasting to update connected cars. “EdgeBeam Wireless will have benefits for the entire wireless ecosystem, helping to relieve congestion while also offering competitive pricing for wide area data distribution,” said Sinclair CEO Chris Ripley.
CTA urged President-elect Donald Trump's administration to move with care on proposals for imposing higher tariffs on imports, warning they could result in sharp declines in the purchases of smartphones and other devices. With CES beginning in Las Vegas, CTA also projected retail revenue in the consumer tech industry of $537 billion this year, up 3.2% over 2024.
The FCC commissioners' unanimously adopting a retransmission consent blackout reporting requirement for multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) likely doesn't mean the agency will also mandate rebates for subscribers due to those blackouts anytime soon, pay-TV and broadcast experts tell us. The blackout reporting order was released Friday. The FCC is unlikely to push rebates during the last days of outgoing Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel's administration and incoming Chairman Brendan Carr is unlikely to consider rebates, some pay-TV watchers say. Neither Rosenworcel's nor Carr's offices commented Monday.
The International Center for Law & Economics (ICLE) told the FCC that T-Mobile’s proposed buy of “substantially all” of UScellular’s wireless operations, including some of its spectrum (see 2405280047), should have little effect on wireless competition. “UScellular is a struggling regional carrier with significant structural disadvantages compared to national carriers like AT&T, Verizon, and T-Mobile,” said a filing posted Thursday in docket 24-286: “T-Mobile sets its plan prices nationally and does not adjust them based on localized competition, including UScellular’s presence, pricing, or service offerings and quality.” ICLE said given UScellular’s size, “limited footprint, and uncompetitive pricing,” it “plays no role as a ‘maverick’ disrupting the market and is unlikely to do so into the foreseeable future.”
A New York state bill would prevent junk fees for consumers by requiring "clear and conspicuous pricing practices" (see 2407310031). Five Democratic state senators prefiled the bill, SB-363, this week for the next legislative session. The measure would consider ISPs in compliance if they provide proof of compliance with the FCC's broadband consumer label rules.
Consumer groups representing the blind support NAB’s request for FCC clarification of its audible crawl rule, according to comments filed in docket 12-107 by last week’s deadline. The FCC has continuously waived the rule for nearly a decade because compliance isn’t technologically feasible, according to broadcasters. Last week, the FCC granted its latest, a six-month retroactive waiver (see 2412200055). “To the extent that information provided in an accessible text crawl is the same as the information provided by a nontextual graphic, we are tentatively supportive of a minor modification of the rule,” the American Foundation for the Blind and the American Council of the Blind said in a joint filing. In addition, any FCC effort to enforce the audible crawl waiver would be “legally suspect’ in the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent ruling overturning Chevron deference, Gray Local Media commented.
Incompas and its members “generally support” Verizon’s proposed acquisition of Frontier, but with conditions, the group said in a reply comment posted Thursday in docket 24-445. Verizon and Frontier this week urged approval without conditions (see 2412240028). Incompas members are concerned about ensuring that business data services (BDS) the applicants offered “are provided to competitors at just, reasonable and not unreasonably discriminatory rates, terms, and conditions,” the filing said. Incompas also supports a request by the Coalition for IP Network Transition, which said the FCC should approve the deal only if the companies agree that they will “interconnect with all other carriers” on an IP basis (see 2412100021). Incompas is “unwilling to concede to the Applicants’ assertions that the transaction will not result in competitive harms, particularly with respect to the impact pricing decisions associated with business data services and more traditional time division multiplexing services, such as DS1s and DS3s, will have on competitive providers,” the filing said: “According to our members, Frontier currently charges significantly more for its high-capacity BDS connections, including DS1, DS3, and 10-mile circuits.” A competitive LEC, Teliax stressed the importance of an IP connection requirement. “Pre-merger, the Applicants have extended IP interconnection to some but not all interconnecting carriers,” Teliax said: “Should the FCC approve the proposed combination, the FCC should expect that the combined company will continue to use its newfound scale to delay the full transition to IP interconnection, thereby extending intercarrier compensation revenues tied to TDM networks.”
NTIA has received useful feedback on improving its planned Local Estimates of Internet Adoption (LEIA) project that it's working on with the Census Bureau (see 2409110021), acting Deputy Associate Administrator Rafi Goldberg blogged Friday. For example, Goldberg noted a Heritage Foundation Center for Data Analysis suggestion about adding inputs into the LEIA experimental model, such as the share of households with seniors. He also mentioned feedback from the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights that racial, ethnic and other demographic lines be tested as model inputs. Multiple commenters said NTIA should employ metrics that include satellite and/or fixed wireless service, suggesting that LEIA should provide internet adoption metrics suitable for different purposes. LEIA was announced in September.
Securus Technologies received a waiver until Sept. 1 of the incarcerated people's communications service per-minute pricing rules, according to an order in Friday's Daily Digest. The FCC Wireline Bureau said in the order it's waiving the rules while Securus completes development of a video IPCS platform that can bill on a per-minute basis.
Small and mid-sized cable operators are largely bullish about President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration and his choice of FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr to head the agency, expecting aggressive deregulation, ACA Connects President Grant Spellmeyer said during an interview with Communications Daily. Spellmeyer discussed the industry group's 2025 priorities, growing questions surrounding BEAD, and what one does during the lame-duck weeks before inauguration and a new administration. The following transcript was edited for length and clarity.