The following statement is attributed to Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, Consumer Technology Association (CTA), regarding today's vote by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) authorizing the voluntary broadcast of ATSC 3.0:

   "Today's FCC action brings our nation a step closer to over-the-air (OTA) Next Gen TV. By allowing broadcasters and manufacturers to take a voluntary, market-driven approach to implementing the ATSC 3.0 television transmission standard, the FCC provides the flexibility and future-proofing needed to deliver exciting enhanced television services - 4K Ultra High-Definition content, advanced emergency warnings, immersive audio and more - to fixed and mobile devices via OTA.

   "The industry will help drive the transition through multi-station market testing in Phoenix, AZ; and 'living lab' field testing in Cleveland, OH - and we've already fully implemented 4K UHD broadcasting using ATSC 3.0 in Korea. The FCC's approval of Next Gen TV broadcasting sets the stage for 2018 to be the year when American consumers begin to experience the highest-quality OTA TV available."