Boston's WCRN-LD Launches 5G Broadcast, Bringing Free Live TV to Smartphones

New technology delivers high-quality local news, sports, and entertainment directly to mobile devices without data charges or Wi-Fi.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 5:30am

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A highly detailed, glowing 3D illustration of a 5G broadcast tower emitting neon cyan and magenta beams of light, representing the powerful and futuristic nature of this new mobile TV technology.5G Broadcast technology is ushering in a new era of free, high-quality mobile television, with signals beamed directly from broadcast towers to smartphones.Boston Today

WCRN-LD in Boston has launched 5G Broadcast operations, following its sister station WWOO-LD as the world's first 24/7 5G Broadcast station. This new technology allows traditional TV stations to deliver live, high-quality content directly to 5G-enabled smartphones and other mobile devices without the need for an internet connection, cellular data plan, or Wi-Fi. The service is free for viewers and more spectrum-efficient than streaming, opening up exciting possibilities for mobile TV, emergency alerting, and public safety applications.

Why it matters

The shift to mobile viewing is transforming the television industry, and 5G Broadcast provides a solution that combines the reliability and free access of traditional broadcast TV with the convenience of on-the-go viewing on smartphones and tablets. This technology could have significant implications for how people consume local news, sports, and entertainment, as well as how broadcasters and emergency services reach and inform the public.

The details

5G Broadcast uses the same broadcast towers that have delivered free over-the-air TV for decades, but now tuned to the global 3GPP 5G Broadcast standard. This allows a single signal to reach thousands or even millions of viewers simultaneously, without the need for individual internet connections or cellular data. The technology enables crystal-clear live TV on smartphones, as well as the ability to deliver critical emergency alerts even when cellular networks are overloaded or down.

  • WCRN-LD in Boston launched 5G Broadcast operations this week.
  • WWOO-LD, WCRN-LD's sister station, has been pioneering 5G Broadcast since launching the world's first 24/7 5G Broadcast station in September 2023.
  • Dedicated 5G Broadcast smartphones and Customer Premises Equipment (CPEs) are expected to roll out commercially in Q3 2026.

The players

WCRN-LD

A television station in Boston that has launched 5G Broadcast operations, following in the footsteps of its sister station WWOO-LD as a pioneer of the technology.

WWOO-LD

The world's first 24/7 5G Broadcast station, located in Boston and serving as a sister station to WCRN-LD.

Bill Christian

The president of Milachi Media and an upcoming panelist at the LPTVBA 5G Broadcast session at the NAB Show, who has commented on the exciting new possibilities of 5G Broadcast technology.

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What they’re saying

“We're opening exciting new doors for mobile delivery, emergency alerting, and public safety”

— Bill Christian, President of Milachi Media

What’s next

Dedicated 5G Broadcast smartphones and Customer Premises Equipment (CPEs) are expected to roll out commercially in Q3 2026, allowing millions of people to enjoy broadcast TV natively on their mobile devices.

The takeaway

5G Broadcast technology is poised to revolutionize the way people consume television, providing free, high-quality live content directly to smartphones and tablets without the need for internet or cellular data. This could have significant implications for how local news, sports, and entertainment are delivered, as well as how emergency services communicate with the public.