Four major broadcast groups – E.W. Scripps Company, Gray Media, Nexstar Media Group, and Sinclair – have announced the creation of EdgeBeam Wireless, a joint venture designed to utilize ATSC 3.0 technology for delivering nationwide data transmission services.
The launch, preceding CES 2025 in Las Vegas, positions the service to target several key markets: automotive connectivity, content delivery networks, and enhanced GPS applications. Scripps President and CEO Adam Symson stated, “The launch of EdgeBeam Wireless is the culmination of many years of technological advancement, market development and, importantly, recognition by government regulators of the expanded services local broadcasters can provide through ATSC 3.0 technology.”
The venture projects a substantial market opportunity, estimating the addressable market for automotive connectivity at $3.7 billion annually, content delivery networks at $3.65 billion, and enhanced GPS services at $220 million. Nexstar Chairman and CEO Perry Sook added, “Our long-held belief is that the transmission of high-speed data via our broadcast infrastructure represents a new way forward for the broadcast industry and a new stream of potentially significant revenue.”
EdgeBeam Wireless will provide data to various devices equipped with an ATSC 3.0 receiver, including vehicles, drones, marine vessels, and mobile devices – both civilian and military. The companies intend to collaborate with other broadcasters to achieve complete nationwide coverage. Sinclair President and CEO Chris Ripley described the venture as, “a groundbreaking development for the broadcast industry…EdgeBeam Wireless will have benefits for the entire wireless ecosystem, helping to relieve congestion while also offering competitive pricing for wide-area data distribution.”
A significant advantage of this system is its potential to serve as a backup for GPS in cases of satellite interference, bolstering U.S. infrastructure security.