TORONTO, ONTARIO – Humber College will establish the first ATSC 3.0 Living Lab in Canada at its North Campus with help from $2 million in grant funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and $2.5 million funding from Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)*. Humber is contributing $500,000 to the project.
The Humber Broadcast-Broadband Convergence (B2C) Lab will support multisectoral applied research opportunities using ATSC 3.0, the next generation internet protocol (IP)-based global television broadcast standard set to replace the current North American standard, ATSC 1.0.
This new standard operates as a ‘one-to-many’ internet delivery system integrating with web portals and apps offering new forms of interactivity in a new hybrid TV environment. The “over the air” television signal can be divided into multiple IP streams that can now carry a variety of television and non-television (data) services simultaneously to both businesses and consumers. The standard offers greater accessibility, higher audio and video image quality and more robust and extended reception on both fixed and mobile devices.
The grant funding will allow Humber to also:
- Provide four industry workshops per year for each of the five years
- Embed curriculum related to ATSC 3.0 in each of its Faculties
- Employ more than 150 students from across various programs over the five-year grant award
- Foster partnerships with the private sector to test their use-cases for ATSC 3.0, leading to business and community innovation at the local, regional and national levels
The B2C Lab will be housed in Humber’s Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation and will be operational in the Fall 2021. Additional information can be found here.
Humber’s funding is as follows:
- $2.5 M from the Canada Foundation for Innovation College-Industry Innovation Fund, Stream 2
- $2M ($400,000/year for five years) from NSERC Innovation Enhancement (IE) Build
Quotes
“Canada proudly supports our outstanding applied research ecosystem, which is a key driver of our innovation economy and crucial to helping businesses succeed. The funding announced today for Humber College will help establish the first ATSC 3.0 Living Lab in Canada and enhance student experience as they help drive businesses forward and create an environment where innovation can thrive.”
-François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry
“With ATSC 3.0, the way we experience television and receive streamed content including news, sports and emergency alerts or data in our connected vehicles could soon be revolutionized. Humber’s new lab is uniquely positioned to develop novel ATSC 3.0 applications that also converge with other global IP data delivery networks including 5G. Working with a portfolio of partners across multiple industry sectors will enhance the experience for Humber students in pioneering innovation in broadcasting and datacasting solutions.”
-Orest Sushko, Director, B²C Lab, Humber College.
*Funding was originally announced as $3 million. It was later increased to $4.5 million.
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About Humber College Institute of Technology & Advanced Learning
Humber College is focused on our students' future. As a global leader in polytechnic education, Humber students receive in-depth theoretical learning and hands-on experience with applied research and extensive industry connections. Humber provides career-focused education to more than 33,000 full-time and 23,000 part-time and continuing education students across three campuses. A comprehensive range of credentials, including honours undergraduate degrees, Ontario graduate certificates, diplomas, apprenticeships and certificates, prepare career-ready global citizens to move seamlessly from education to employment. More than 86 per cent of Humber graduates are employed within six months of completing their studies. Visit humber.ca.
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