It calls itself the first hybrid network operator and “a foundational layer at the edge enabling one-to-many data distribution for today’s wireless networks.” For broadcast TV companies, EdgeBeam Wireless and its CEO, Conrad Clemson, have gained attention for their non-traditional revenue opportunities associated with ATSC 3.0 technologies beyond NEXTGEN TV. Now, EdgeBeam is investing in its future by acquiring Broadspan distribution platform.
The seller is Sinclair Inc., which has been a pioneer in the rollout of powering the “internet of things” through ATSC 3.0 broadcast data solutions. There’s also the alternatives to GPS that come with the new digital broadcast technology.
Enter EdgeBeam, which is purchasing the Broadspan software suite and its core engineering team in a move “that significantly accelerates” Boston-headquartered EdgeBeam’s go-to-market strategy. How so? It accelerates its deployment timeline by “multiple quarters” while providing a national-scale data distribution network using broadcast infrastructure.
As RBR+TVBR has reported, EdgeBeam addresses “congestion at the last mile” by operating as a Hybrid Network Operator (HNO), combining ATSC 3.0 service with the coverage a traditional ISP provides. “Using Broadspan’s provisioning software and the wide-scale reach of its partners’ TV broadcast infrastructure, EdgeBeam transforms existing high-power broadcast towers into a scalable data distribution network,” the company explains. “This data path uses multicast technology to bypass cellular bottlenecks, enabling a single transmission to reach unlimited endpoints simultaneously.”
Sinclair President of Technology Del Parks commented, “Data distribution is a powerful next step in the evolution of broadcasting. Broadspan’s ability to leverage existing broadcast infrastructure and its efficient one-to-many broadcast architecture provides a highly scalable, cost-effective tool for data users, and EdgeBeam is the right partner to lead this platform into its next phase of growth.”
With the acquisition, specialized software and network engineers from the Broadspan team will join EdgeBeam.
