Several broadcasting companies in Phoenix have joined together as a test market to transition current over-the-air television broadcasting to one based on smart technology.
The upgrade, called ATSC 3.0, applies to broadcast systems worldwide and is named after the Advanced Television Systems Committee, the agency which created the standards.
The companies said Phoenix has 1.8 million households and that 1 in 5 of them use an over-the-air antenna for TV.
Pearl TV, a business group with several broadcast members, and some broadcast stations in Phoenix, including E.W. Scripps Company, Fox Television Stations and Nexstar Media Group, are among them.
Phoenix as the model market being tested is responsible for confirming basic TV service performance and determining the appeal of next-generation technologies, like high-range video and immersive audio.
The Federeal Communications Commission, FCC, is expected to approve implementation of the updated technologies throughout the U.S.
