Wireless Broadband Electronic News Gathering Gaining Ground

Journalists can benefit from wireless broadband, too -- even broadcast journalists. Wireless broadband is slowly changing the way reporters send stories in from the field, giving them more freedom to roam, if not the video quality they would like. This doesn't mean conventional transmission will disappear overnight — or perhaps ever. You still can't beat microwave and satellite trucks for live SD or HD video, but for anything less, broadband in one form of another — 3G, WiFi, WiMAX, LTE or Skype — just might do. The field reporter can file without lifting a mast or pointing a dish. The trick to using wireless broadband is understanding its capabilities. It requires "a constant juggling between how much time you have and how much quality you can submit," said Fred Fourcher, CEO of Bitcentral, a digital media management and content distribution management vendor.