NOAA’s National Weather Service (NWS) Mission Systems and Technology Office has entered into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with SpectraRep, LLC to evaluate how broadcast television datacasting can serve as a resilient and redundant pathway for delivering NOAA Weather Radio audio and data to existing transmitter infrastructure and modern digital devices.
For more than 50 years, NOAA Weather Radio has been a critical component of the nation’s public warning infrastructure, providing continuous forecasts, watches, warnings, and emergency information to communities, emergency managers, and partner organizations. This collaboration reflects NOAA’s ongoing efforts to explore innovative approaches that strengthen the reliability, resiliency, and reach of mission-critical weather and hazard information services.
Under the agreement, NOAA/NWS and SpectraRep, LLC will work together to assess whether existing digital television broadcast infrastructure can enhance the distribution of NWR content, particularly during periods when other networks may be disrupted. The project will also examine opportunities to expand endpoint delivery options to reach modern digital and mobile platforms—without altering or replacing existing NOAA Weather Radio services.
“NOAA/NWS is looking forward to collaborating with SpectraRep, LLC to evaluate innovative approaches for delivering NOAA Weather Radio content via datacasting and other pathways for modernizing access to NOAA Weather Radio content,” says George Jungbluth, Director for NWS Mission Systems and Technology Office.
SpectraRep, LLC brings more than 25 years of experience in broadcast datacasting technology and public alert dissemination. Television datacasting uses a small portion of a digital TV broadcast signal to securely transmit data as a one-way service that is unseen by television viewers and the general public. Digital television datacasting is designed for very high availability—exceeding 99.9% annually nationwide—making it a potential candidate for improving continuity of operations during emergencies.
As part of the CRADA, SpectraRep, LLC will work with NOAA/NWS to better understand the current NOAA Weather Radio workflow, including how content is generated and transmitted. Using NOAA/NWS content and technical expertise, SpectraRep, LLC will configure a demonstration showing how live NOAA Weather Radio content can be securely transported through a local television broadcast partner and delivered to a NOAA endpoint(s), such as a NOAA Weather Radio transmitter.
SpectraRep, LLC will also share access and seek feedback on their AlertNowTM mobile solution which can tap into multiple transport paths—including radio, broadcast datacasting, and internet sources—on a single mobile platform. This work highlights potential opportunities to modernize access to NOAA Weather Radio content while reinforcing NOAA/NWS’ longstanding commitment to public trust.
NOAA/NWS will evaluate the results of the collaboration and document findings and recommendations through established reporting processes. The outcomes of this work may inform future strategies for strengthening NOAA Weather Radio’s resiliency and expanding access for digital audiences nationwide.
This CRADA reflects NOAA/NWS’ continued commitment to partnering with the private sector to evaluate innovative, cost-effective technologies that support NOAA/NWS’ mission to provide timely, reliable weather and hazard information that helps protect life and property. NOAA regularly partners with private sector companies through CRADAs to conduct research and development work that is mutually beneficial and helps to accomplish NOAA’s mission. NOAA CRADAs are coordinated through NOAA’s Technology Partnerships Office.