For some, it is a folly that’s two decades too late. For others, it is a simple step allowing low-power television station operators to deliver linear TV, live events, emergency alerts, and datacasting directly to 5G- and 6G-enabled smartphones and tablets.
The LPTV Broadcasters Association, founded by entrepreneur and LPTV champion “SuperFrank” Copsidas, very much wants 5G Broadcast to become a voluntary broadcast standard for U.S. LPTV stations. That’s why he’s written to FCC Chairman Brendan Carr seeking “immediate regulatory action.”
In a letter sent to Carr and copied to Commissioners Olivia Trusty and Anna Gomez; Media Bureau acting chief Alex Sanjenis; Media Bureau deputy chiefs Hillary DeNigro and Evan Morris; and Video Division Chief David Brown; Copsidas asks that the FCC move forward with a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking in response to HC2 Broadcasting’s 2025 Petition for Rulemaking (MB Docket No. 25-168) and move expeditiously toward final rules.
This, Copsidas says, will modernize low power television by recognizing the worldwide 3GPP 5G Broadcast standard as a voluntary transmission option for LPTV stations.
“Broadcast television has been stuck in the regulatory Stone Age while cellular technology has advanced at lightning speed,” said Copsidas, who serves as Chairman of the LPTV Broadcasters Association. “Recognizing 3GPP 5G Broadcast under Part 74 will unleash a major new opportunity for investment. Industry forecasts show the U.S. market for 5G Broadcast services and infrastructure is poised to grow tenfold over the next five years. It’s time to delete this outdated dichotomy and give American broadcasters — especially agile LPTV operators — the tools to capture this explosive growth while strengthening emergency communications and delivering the mobile-first experience consumers demand.”
The letter can be viewed in full by clicking here: Carr 5G open leter
