Your TV. Your airwaves. Your voice.
Right now the FCC is deciding whether free over-the-air TV can be encrypted, when today’s ATSC 1.0 signals can be switched off, and whether low-power stations can broadcast 5G to phones instead.
The FCC must take public comments into account before it changes the rules. Filing takes about 5 minutes, it’s free, and you don’t need an account.
Should low-power TV stations be allowed to broadcast 5G instead of ATSC?
In plain English: On 08-10-2026, XGN/X1 Mobile and Tyche Media (licensee of Boston’s WCRN-LD) asked the FCC to let low-power TV (LPTV) stations choose, voluntarily, to transmit with the cellular industry’s 3GPP “5G Broadcast” standard instead of ATSC 1.0 or ATSC 3.0. Phones and other 5G devices could receive those signals without an add-on tuner.
To qualify, a station would have to keep at least one free, unencrypted linear TV stream at 720p or better, and set aside an average of at least half of its remaining capacity (never less than 2 MHz) for public-safety uses such as emergency alerts. Stations with must-carry rights on cable and satellite could not switch. The FCC’s Media Bureau asked for public comment on 09-17-2026 (Public Notice DA 26-1000). This is a petition, not a rule: if the FCC agrees, its next step would be a formal rulemaking proposal with another round of comments.
Where it stands: The LPTV Broadcasters Association, 5G Broadcast Collective, HC2 Broadcasting, Communications Technologies, Milachi Media and Lowcountry 34 Media filed in support. The National Association of Broadcasters and Sinclair oppose it, and Castanet 5G asked the FCC to deny it and focus on HC2’s earlier petition instead. HC2 wants this docket merged with its own (MB 25-168).
What it means for ATSC 3.0 — impact: HIGH. It would give LPTV stations a second next-generation path besides ATSC 3.0. Supporters say 5G Broadcast reaches phones directly and costs far less to deploy. Opponents say it splits the transition, needs more interference testing, and moves stations away from TV service. Who should file: LPTV owners, public-safety agencies, device makers, and anyone who watches a low-power station.
| Date | Filed by | Type | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-04-2026 | One Ministries, Inc. | Reply comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Castanet 5G LLC | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | HC2 Broadcasting Holdings | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Sinclair Inc. | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | National Association of Broadcasters | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Lowcountry 34 Media, LLC | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Milachi Media | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Communications Technologies | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-19-2026 | Individual viewer | Express comment | View ↗ |
| 10-15-2026 | 5G Broadcast Collective | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-08-2026 | One Ministries, Inc. | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-08-2026 | LPTV Broadcasters Association | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 09-17-2026 | FCC Media Bureau | Public Notice DA 26-1000 (opens comment) | PDF ↗ |
| 08-10-2026 | XGN/X1 Mobile/Tyche Media | Petition for Rulemaking | PDF ↗ |
From the FCC’s public filing system as of 11-14-2026.
No FCC account or login is needed. The FCC form asks for your name and mailing address; email is optional and gets you a receipt. Everything you submit, including your name and address, becomes part of the public record.
Tips for a comment that counts: say who you are and where you watch TV, describe the equipment you use, explain how this proposal would affect you, and say clearly what you want the FCC to do.
The FCC form opens beside this page with docket 26-263 already filled in. Paste your text into “Brief Comments”.
These open in a window beside this page, so you can keep reading our summary while you review the FCC record.
The big one: switching off ATSC 1.0, tuner mandates and DRM encryption
In plain English: This is the FCC’s main NextGen TV proceeding, open since 2016. On 02-26-2025, the National Association of Broadcasters asked the FCC to set a firm date to finish the move to ATSC 3.0 and to require ATSC 3.0 tuners in new TVs. The FCC responded on 10-28-2025 with its Fifth Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FCC 25-72).
That proposal would end the rule that stations moving to ATSC 3.0 must keep simulcasting an ATSC 1.0 signal. It also asks whether new TVs should be required to include ATSC 3.0 tuners, whether broadcasters may encrypt (DRM) free over-the-air ATSC 3.0 signals, and how cable and satellite should carry 3.0 signals. Comments were due 01-20-2026 and replies 02-18-2026. The FCC has not issued a final decision.
Where it stands: Encryption has become the most contested issue. Viewers keep filing, many reporting that DRM blocks the certified network tuners and DVRs they bought. ATSC told the FCC that the standard does not require encryption. The Motion Picture Association and the ATSC 3.0 Security Authority (A3SA) argue that encryption is needed to protect programming. On 03-27-2026, 91 members of Congress urged the FCC to set a firm transition date.
What it means for ATSC 3.0 — impact: VERY HIGH. This decides when ATSC 1.0 can go dark, what every new TV must include, and whether the ATSC 3.0 tuner you own can watch encrypted channels. Can I still comment? Yes. The formal deadlines have passed, but the proceeding is still open and the FCC keeps accepting filings into the public record until it acts. It isn’t required to respond to late filings, but they remain in front of the decision-makers.
| Date | Filed by | Type | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 11-13-2026 | Individual viewers (5 since 11-04-2026) | Express comments, mostly on DRM | View ↗ |
| 11-02-2026 | AWARN Alliance | Ex parte (emergency alerts) | PDF ↗ |
| 10-30-2026 | LPTV Broadcasters Association | Reply to Sinclair ex parte | PDF ↗ |
| 10-27-2026 | One Ministries, Inc. | Comment | PDF ↗ |
| 10-26-2026 | Sinclair Inc. | Ex parte (to Chairman Carr’s office) | PDF ↗ |
| 10-26-2026 | SiliconDust USA (HDHomeRun) | Ex parte responding to NAB | PDF ↗ |
| 10-20-2026 | National Association of Broadcasters | Ex parte (emergency alerts & DRM) | PDF ↗ |
| 02-18-2026 | — | Reply comments due | |
| 01-20-2026 | — | Comments due | |
| 11-20-2025 | FCC Media Bureau | Comment dates set (DA 25-966) | PDF ↗ |
| 10-28-2025 | FCC | Fifth FNPRM issued (FCC 25-72) | Federal Register ↗ |
| 04-07-2025 | FCC Media Bureau | Public Notice on NAB petition (DA 25-314) | |
| 02-26-2025 | National Association of Broadcasters | Petition for Rulemaking | PDF ↗ |
| 04-13-2016 | America’s Public Television Stations et al. | Joint petition that opened the docket | PDF ↗ |
From the FCC’s public filing system as of 11-14-2026; highlighted rows are FCC actions and deadlines.
No FCC account or login is needed. The FCC form asks for your name and mailing address; email is optional and gets you a receipt. Everything you submit, including your name and address, becomes part of the public record.
Tips for a comment that counts: say where you live and how you watch (antenna, network tuner, DVR, converter box), name your local stations if they matter to your point, describe what has worked or failed for you, and state exactly what you want the FCC to do.
These open in a window beside this page.
The first 5G Broadcast petition for low-power TV (HC2)
In plain English: On 03-28-2025, HC2 Broadcasting, the largest owner of low-power TV stations in the U.S., asked the FCC to let LPTV stations use the 5G Broadcast standard voluntarily. HC2 also suggested that the FCC ask whether an LPTV station could use its whole 6 MHz channel for data services, with no free TV signal at all. The FCC opened MB Docket 25-168 and asked for comment (DA 25-382). Comments arrived by 06-02-2025 and replies by 07-01-2025.
Where it stands: Qualcomm and several LPTV owners supported the petition. NAB and Sinclair opposed it, and NCTA and ATSC also filed. There’s been no FCC decision. HC2, the LPTV Broadcasters Association, Castanet 5G, Sinclair and XGN have kept meeting with FCC officials through 2026, and the newer XGN petition (MB 26-263, above) builds on this one.
What it means for ATSC 3.0 — impact: HIGH. Same core question as MB 26-263, but without XGN’s requirement to keep a free TV stream. The FCC may handle the two petitions together.
| Date | Filed by | Type | Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-19-2026 | HC2, Castanet 5G, Lowcountry 34 Media, Milachi Media | Comments (also filed in 26-263) | View ↗ |
| 09-16-2026 | HC2 Broadcasting Holdings | Ex parte (Chairman Carr’s office) | PDF ↗ |
| 09-10-2026 | Sinclair, Inc. | Ex parte (Chairman Carr’s office) | PDF ↗ |
| 08-29-2026 | XGN Global, X1 Mobile & Tyche Media | Ex parte | Document ↗ |
| 08-27-2026 | HC2 Broadcasting Holdings | Ex parte | PDF ↗ |
| 06-17-2026 | LPTV Broadcasters Association | Ex parte | PDF ↗ |
| 05-14-2026 | Castanet 5G LLC | Ex parte | PDF ↗ |
| 05-12-2026 | LPTV Broadcasters Association | Open letter to Chairman Carr | PDF ↗ |
| 12-18-2025 | LPTV Broadcasters Association | Ex parte (2026 priorities) | PDF ↗ |
| 08-15-2025 | HC2 Broadcasting Holdings | Ex parte | PDF ↗ |
| 07-01-2025 | NAB, ATSC, Sinclair, HC2, REC Networks | Reply comments | NAB ↗ · ATSC ↗ · HC2 ↗ |
| 06-02-2025 | Qualcomm, NCTA, NAB, Venture Technologies, Videohouse, VIAVI, Q Broadcasting | Comments | Qualcomm ↗ · NCTA ↗ · NAB ↗ |
| 05-01-2025 | FCC Media Bureau | Docket opened; Public Notice DA 25-382 sought comment | |
| 03-28-2025 | HC2 Broadcasting Holdings | Petition for Rulemaking (RM-11934) |
From the FCC’s public filing system as of 11-14-2026; highlighted rows are FCC actions and the petition.
No FCC account or login is needed. The comment cycle on this petition ended in 2025, but the docket is still open. If your comment is about 5G Broadcast for LPTV generally, it’s best to file in MB 26-263 before 11-18-2026 and mention 25-168 too.
Congress & the money
91 members of Congress urge a firm ATSC 3.0 date
A bipartisan group asked the FCC to set a firm date for the transition to NextGen TV, saying a clear timeline would spur TV makers and broadcasters to invest. Lead signers included Reps. Mark Alford, Brendan Boyle, Mike Flood and Darren Soto.
No converter-box help proposed yet
In the 2009 digital transition, Congress set the date and funded $40 converter-box coupons. As of March 2026, no member of Congress or the FCC had backed a federal rebate for NextGen TV converter boxes. We’ll add any bill or funding proposal here as soon as one is introduced.
Contact your members of Congress
Congress oversees the FCC and would decide on any consumer help. Find your representative ↗ · Find your senators ↗
ATSC 3.0 around the world
Brazil · DTV+ (“TV 3.0”)
Adopted by presidential decree on 08-27-2025, built on ATSC 3.0’s transmission layers. Experimental broadcasts are on air in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Brasília, and commercial launch was targeted for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
South Korea
The first country on air with ATSC 3.0, with 4K UHD broadcasts since May 2017 that now reach more than 80% of the population.
Jamaica · Trinidad & Tobago
Jamaica has launched ATSC 3.0 nationwide. Trinidad & Tobago has adopted the standard and begun deployment.
India
Exploring ATSC 3.0 for direct-to-mobile broadcasting. Public broadcaster Prasar Bharati released test results in 2026.
Canada · Mexico
Both are testing ATSC 3.0. Canada’s work centers on a 5G and ATSC 3.0 lab at Humber Polytechnic; Mexico is focused on distance education.
How to comment to the FCC in 5 minutes
1 · Pick a docket
Use a “File a comment” tab above. The FCC form opens beside this page with the docket number already filled in.
2 · Write it your way
“Express” lets you type a short comment. “Standard” lets you upload a PDF. Name and mailing address are required; email is optional and gets you a receipt.
3 · Submit: it’s on the record
Your filing appears in the public docket, usually within a day, with your name and address. No account, no fee, no login.
Sources: FCC Electronic Comment Filing System (dockets 26-263, 16-142, 25-168, retrieved 11-14-2026); FCC Public Notice DA 26-1000; Federal Register 90 FR 52327 (11-20-2025); FCC DA 25-966; TV Technology; The Desk; Light Reading; ATSC. Airwavz summaries are informational and are not legal advice. Last reviewed 11-14-2026.