Washington, DC (October 9, 2026)—The ATSC has approved a new Candidate Standard that establishes a foundation for the emerging B2X platform and is a first step toward ATSC’s vision of enabling broadcast and mobile technologies to work more closely together.
The organization sees the Candidate Standard as more than a new technical specification, potentially extending the reach and efficiency of broadcast to a broader range of connected devices, networks and services, while creating a more efficient means for unicast networks to apply one-to-many network architecture.
Approved by ATSC Technology Group 3 (TG3) for public review, S44-2-002r6, “B2X System Discovery and Signaling,” is presented as a building block needed for devices to find and connect with future B2X services. B2X is intended to combine the strengths of broadcast with the scale of the mobile ecosystem. The initiative could create new opportunities for broadcasters, wireless providers, device manufacturers, technology companies and service developers while opening new markets for broadcast-based services.
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Uniquely, broadcast can deliver the same information or content to very large numbers of receivers at the same time. B2X is exploring how that capability can complement mobile broadband networks and reach a much wider universe of connected devices. Over time, that could mean opportunities extending well beyond traditional television receivers to mobile and connected devices.
As the number and variety of connected devices continue to grow, networks will need increasingly efficient ways to distribute information and high-demand content at scale. B2X is being developed to explore how broadcast can become part of that broader communications environment, complementing other networks rather than operating separately from them.
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Rather than changing existing ATSC 3.0 standards, the specification establishes an independent mechanism specifically designed for B2X. It is envisioned as the first building block in a broader suite of standards that ATSC expects will ultimately define a complete B2X platform.
ATSC welcomes broad industry participation as this work advances. The Candidate Standard review period closes at the end of June 2027.
