When Broadcast Meets 5G: Inside Humber’s Convergence Lab

Humber Polytechnic is one of Canada’s top educational institutions, known for applied research, hands-on learning, and deep industry partnerships. Based in Toronto, Humber is home to a unique lab focused on a challenge few are tackling: how to connect traditional broadcast systems with the new world of 5G.

At a time when wireless technologies are evolving fast—and often in parallel—Humber’s Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab is asking a bold question: what happens when we allow these two systems talk to each other?

And the industry is paying attention. Humber’s B²C Lab is North America’s first and only ATSC 3.0 industry research centre offering leading-edge infrastructure that has positioned the lab as an internationally recognized leader in broadcast innovation.

Inside Humber’s NextGen Experiment

At Humber’s B²C Lab, researchers are exploring how the digital broadcast system can integrate 5G. Specifically, they’re delving into how IP-based broadcast standards like ATSC 3.0 can interconnect with 5G (and future 6G) core networks—developing scenarios that show the value of integrating the broadcast system into the present and future broadband wireless ecosystem.

“We didn’t specifically procure our 5G cores to serve as a smart campus,” said Orest Sushko, Director of the Broadcast-Broadband Convergence B²C Lab at Humber Polytechnic.
“We’ve invested in them to understand how broadcast and broadband systems can seamlessly integrate —and that starts with how 5G core systems can lead us to understand the specific mechanisms towards interoperability.”

Live from the lab: monitoring signal activity as Humber’s team tests ATSC 3.0 signal. Image courtesy of Humber College’s B²C Lab.

Building Networks That Work Together

ATSC 3.0 — the new broadcast standard rolling out in several countries worldwide — is fully IP-based. That opens up exciting possibilities: instead of operating in isolation, broadcast systems can now interoperate with other IP data delivery networks, including 5G, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

For public safety agencies, this could mean smarter, multi-network emergency communications and alerting. For education or rural connectivity, it might enable more efficient content delivery where broadband speeds are less efficient or not available, but broadcast towers are strong.

And at Humber, it’s not just about developing technology—it’s also about cultivating talent. Students and faculty work directly on these systems, gaining hands-on experience with emerging standards and infrastructure.

Sushko added, “We’re trying to figure out what’s actually possible when systems interoperate, and how to make that real.”

From Open Architecture to Open Possibilities

To power this convergence work, the lab acquired three 5G cores from Firecell, chosen for their open architecture and full source code access. That flexibility allows researchers to explore deep network behaviors—including giving priority to the most important data on the network, a key requirement in public safety and critical infrastructure use cases.

Their current research includes:

• Connecting ATSC 3.0 and 5G architectures
  
• Creating and further developing massive broadcast IoT downlink applications/services (emergency first responder communications, digital signage, etc.)
  
• Enhanced systems for public alerting and remote education
  
• Preparing for future IP-driven applications in media and broadcast mobility
  

They’re also working with a global community of top research scientists — including teams in Spain, South Korea, and the United States to help shape how the ATSC 3.0 broadcast system be integrated into the broader IP data delivery ecosystem. 

Where Theory Meets Tower

The work takes place at Humber’s North Campus Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, home of the B²C Lab. The facility includes an RF anechoic chamber, and multi-tower ATSC 3.0 transmission infrastructure, including an experimental site atop Toronto’s CN Tower that has the potential to reach over 20% of Canada’s marketplace.

It’s also where the lab can bring ideas together — transforming theories of convergence into tangible prototypes that students, faculty, and partners can test, refine, and deploy.

Collaboration in Action

This isn’t a siloed academic endeavour. The effort is led by Orest Sushko and Humber’s faculty engineering, broadcast innovation teams, along with an extensive group of ATSC 3.0 experts, in close collaboration with a portfolio of industry partners like Firecell, public sector stakeholders, and international standards bodies including ATSC.

Together, these collaborations are helping to create new intersections between broadcast telecom, media, education, and public service.

Beyond the Buzzwords: What’s at Stake

Because networks are converging, and Humber is helping the broadcasting market figure out how to make that work—for both innovators and broadcasters.

As our communications infrastructure becomes increasingly IP-based, the ability to combine the reach of broadcast with the flexibility of 5G could reshape how we deliver services—from public alerts to live video to digital learning.

Humber’s lab is aiming to show that convergence isn’t just possible — it’s practical, and the results could have a lasting impact far beyond the campus walls.

📦 Humber Polytechnic at a Glance

Name: Humber Polytechnic
Founded: 1967
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Students: ~30,000 full-time
Focus: Applied research and industry-integrated learning
Specialties: Broadcast systems, wireless convergence, IoT, public safety, digital media
Lab Setup: ATSC 3.0 broadcast air chains, OTA broadcast testbed, RF anechoic chamber, with 5G systems from Firecell, including one Orion 100 network, two Labkit O-RANs, and five years of Platinum Support and Maintenance
Did You Know? Humber is the only educational institution in Canada with a live ATSC 3.0 transmission system—giving students and industry partners a unique space to test and co-develop NextGen broadcast applications.