In this article, Doug Lung provides a recap of RF technology in 2023 and offers projections for 2024 and beyond. He notes that 2023 was relatively quiet in terms of spectrum issues, with the focus shifting to TV stations filing channel change petitions to move from VHF to UHF channels. Wireless operators also began using the 3.7 GHz to 3.98 GHz band for broadband use, with minimal interference issues reported. Lung also discusses the slow rollout of ATSC 3.0 and the challenges it has faced, such as limited spectrum availability for simultaneous transmission of primary programming in both 3.0 and 1.0 and the incompatibility of MPEG-4 encoding with older TV sets. He predicts that broadcasters will not complete the transition to ATSC 3.0 for at least 5-7 years. Lung also highlights the potential non-TV uses of ATSC 3.0, such as the Broadcast Position Standard (BPS) for accurate timing and radio over ATSC 3.0. He suggests that broadcasters need a stronger push to speed up the adoption of ATSC 3.0, such as funding an ATSC 3.0 set-top box program and providing financial incentives for device manufacturers to include ATSC 3.0 capability. Lung also discusses the possibility of TV broadcasting eventually moving to the internet and 5G wireless, but notes that over-the-air TV is still popular due to the cost of cable TV and streaming subscriptions. Finally, he mentions that the IEEE Broadcast Technology Symposium returned in 2023 and expresses his enthusiasm for its success.
