ATSC 3.0 is not merely an upgrade to the broadcast ecosystem; it is a tectonic shift in how broadcast signals are conceived, delivered, and experienced. At the heart of this revolution lies one capability powerful enough to redefine the physical limits of broadcasting itself: the Single Frequency Network (SFN). By synchronizing multiple transmitters on a single frequency, SFNs do what legacy architectures never could, they bend geography, erase traditional coverage gaps, and extend the broadcaster’s reach into dense urban cores, deep-indoor environments, and fast-moving mobile platforms. They are the force multiplier that transforms ATSC 3.0 from a promising standards into a nationwide, resilient, all-weather communications fabric. 

Born with SFNs in its DNA, ATSC 3.0 brings the precision timing, native interfaces, and architectural coherence necessary to deploy large-scale, tightly synchronized networks that were once the exclusive domain of defense-grade systems. This paper is a short field manual for the broadcasters and engineers who will build this next frontier, providing an on-the-ground, technically rigorous blueprint for designing, deploying, and governing SFNs within ATSC 3.0’s advanced framework. 

Moving decisively beyond theory, the paper delivers a structured, operationally focused pathway for real-world SFN implementation. It covers synchronization architectures, interference management, coverage modeling, and the business-driven calculus required for network design. It explores the strategic rationale behind SFNs, the ways in which they unlock mobile reception, datacasting capacity, spectral efficiency, and service robustness, and the tradeoffs that define practical deployment scenarios. 

This work will equip attendees, industry leaders, planners, integrators, and regulators with the knowledge required to build the nationwide SFN ecosystems that will ultimately determine whether ATSC 3.0 fulfills its promise or falls short of its transformational potential.