As ATSC Mobile TV-equipped devices inch toward retailer shelves, at the 2010 NAB Show, Harris and LG unveiled the next advance for the North American A/153 mobile DTV standard: scalable full-channel mobile, which uses the entire bandwidth for mobile TV, rather than sharing it with fixed broadcast channels. One such use is in-vehicle mobile TV. U.S. law currently requires TV broadcasters to offer at least one fixed TV program in their broadcast bit stream.
The new protocol is aimed at "non-traditional operators that own 700MHz spectrum," according to an April 12, 2010, Harris-LG press release. Although they aren't naming names, it's a good bet that those operators include satellite TV companies. Harris and LG are already working with a customer, according to the release, "and there are others operating in the 700MHz spectrum who plan to launch mobile services that are compatible with the ATSC transmission system."
The Harris/LG full-channel mobile implementation has been proposed for standardization to the ATSC. Harris mobile DTV equipment owners will be able to implement of the new technology with just a software upgrade, according to Hay Adrick, Harris VP of broadcast technology.
