NAB Softens Its Opposition to Including A/322 Document in Final ATSC 3.0 Rules

NAB somewhat softened its opposition to including the A/322 document on “Physical Layer Protocol” in the FCC's final ATSC 3.0 rules along with the A/321 standard it supports including on “System Discovery and Signaling,” it told commission staff in meetings Wednesday, according to an ex parte filing posted Monday in docket 16-142. NAB still thinks adopting A/322 “could risk stifling innovation” and force broadcasters to return to the FCC “repeatedly for permission to make changes as the standard and associated technology evolves,” it said. “Nevertheless, NAB understands that some commenters believe that there may be some value in adopting the full physical layer of the Next Gen standard, including A/322, to ensure that consumer electronics manufacturers can build television receivers with confidence.” With that in mind, NAB “respectfully submits” the FCC “can provide the certainty the consumer electronics industry desires with the flexibility broadcasters seek while minimizing regulatory burdens.” it said. Under the NPRM’s proposal, broadcasters opting to deploy ATSC 3.0 “will continue to be required to transmit at least one free, over the air transmission in standard definition or higher quality,” NAB said. “For that transmission, NAB proposes that broadcasters rely on both components of the physical layer, that is, A/321 and A/322,” but that A/322 not be required for any other ATSC 3.0 services, it said. NAB also wants the requirement to incorporate A/322 to “sunset automatically” after three years unless the FCC extends it, but only through a follow-up rulemaking, it said. At CTA, "we have not reviewed" the NAB ex parte filing "and have no comment," Brian Markwalter, senior vice president-research and standards, emailed us Monday. CTA wants the FCC to write its final ATSC 3.0 rules to “encourage” adoption of the A/322 document, it said in reply comments in June (see 1706090026). But in keeping with the voluntary, market-driven nature of the ATSC 3.0 migration, “CTA does not seek a requirement to implement A/322,” it said then.