Spectrum Issues: Impact on Translators and...
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Spectrum Issues: Impact on Translators and LPTV Bruce Franca Sr. VP, Spectrum Policy May 13, 2016
Transcript of Spectrum Issues: Impact on Translators and...
Spectrum Issues: Impact on Translators and LPTV
Bruce FrancaSr. VP, Spectrum Policy
May 13, 2016
Impact on Translators and LPTV
• Impact of FCC Incentive Auction and Repacking on Translators and LPTV
• Recent NAB and Google Impact Studies • FCC Vacant or “Google” Channels Proposal • ATSC 3.0
Translators and LPTV
• FCC database lists 7,248 “non‐class A” low power stations• 5,426 TV Translators and 1,822 LPTV stations• 5,935 or 82% of these stations operate on UHF channels
• This compares to 2198 full power and class A stations that are “auction eligible” • More there are more than 3X as many low power stations
that can be potentially impacted
Impact on Translators and LPTV
• TV Translators and LPTV can be impacted in two ways:1) Spectrum is being reallocated from TV
broadcast to wireless2) Repacking of full-power/Class A stations
can displace low power stations
Spectrum Lost to Reallocation
Channels lost to spectrum reallocation
Channels “shaded in red” reallocated from broadcasting to wireless
Incentive Auction
• FCC sets 126 MHz as the Initial Spectrum Clearing Target
• Reverse Auction Bidding to Start May 31, 2016
• Multiple Stages Likely?
Spectrum Lost to Reallocation
Channels lost to spectrum reallocation
• At 126 MHz, broadcast TV is limited to channels 2 to 29 • Channels 30 and above no longer available • Although some eligible TV stations may be “stranded” in mobile band
126 MHz Initial Spectrum Clearing Target
10 channel blocks or pairs available except where shown
TV Stations Directly Impacted by Spectrum Reallocation*
Amount of Spectrum Reclaimed
Station Type Number of TV StationsAffected
Total number of TV Stations Affected
126 MHz Full Power/Class A 9334,815
Translator/LPTV 3,882
114 MHz Full Power/Class A 8344,311Translator/LPTV 3,477
84 MHz Full Power/Class A 588
3,105Translator/LPTV 2,517
*From FCC List of Auction Eligible Stations and TV Engineering Database
Stations operating onspectrum that will be reallocated to wireless
Spectrum Lost to Repacking
• No channels may be available in broadcast band for TV translators and LPTV after full power TV and class A stations are “repacked” to new channels
• Situation made even worse with proposal to reserve one or two channels for Google (or unlicensed operations)
Spectrum Lost to Repacking
• FCC Sample Repacking Plan #76– KOMI‐CD repacked from Channel 34 to 14 – KDVR repacked from Channel 32 to 27
ProfileID FacilityID Original Channel
New Channel Service Callsign City State
76 87 34 14 DC KOMI‐CD WOODWARD OK76 125 21 21 DT KFCT FORT COLLINS CO76 126 32 27 DT KDVR DENVER CO
Channels lost to repacking of Full Power and class ATV stations and no longer available for low power use
Previous Impact Studies
• Many spectrum/auction parameters were unknown
• Study based on original DTV planning software
• Many low power stations still analog
• FCC releases 100 sample “repacking” plans
NAB Study: Auction Impact on Translators and LPTV
NAB Impact Study
• NAB considered 2 of 100 UHF repacking simulations (FCC, 2014)• Profile 52 (120 MHz) • Profile 65 (84 MHz)
• Starting with a “clean slate,” tried to “shoehorn” in LPTV/TVT stations using contours• Co‐channel operation prohibited if substantial contour overlap • Start at lowest channel
• TVStudy then run to identify any stations that violated 0.5% interference limit
LPTV Repacking - Step 1Contour-fitting
WFSGPanama City, FL
WEAC‐CDJacksonville,
AL
Full‐power/Class A stations repacked to Channel 21
WMAH‐TVBiloxi, MS LPTV Station W50BO
repacked to Channel 21
15
LPTV Repacking - Step 20.5% IX Test Using TVStudy
Desired Station TL Area TL Pop. IL Area IL PopWBRC D20 LIC BIRMINGHAM, AL 33134.6 1,821,322 30481.3 1,702,201
Interfering stations: Tot Area Tot Pop Unq Area Unq PopWMCF-TV D19 LIC MONTGOMERY, AL 188.8 3,904 24.1 114WJHG-TV D20 CP PANAMA CITY, FL 144.4 2,411 68.1 818WRBJ-TV D20 LIC MAGEE, MS 300.3 5,827 176.3 3,338WLMT D20 LIC MEMPHIS, TN 143.8 3,161 16.0 283WZTV D20 LIC NASHVILLE, TN 195.7 11,127 59.9 4,232WCOV-TV D21 LIC MONTGOMERY, AL 297.2 5,024 116.5 968WANN-CD D20A LIC ATLANTA, GA 51.9 1,735 31.9 400W38BQ D21A CP MOD HUNTSVILLE, AL 4.0 72 0.0 0WMJN-LP D19L LIC SOMERVILLE, AL 71.8 4,823 16.0 2,342WBMA-LD D19L LIC BIRMINGHAM, AL 32.0 229 16.0 22W32EQ-D D19L CP TUSCALOOSA, AL 123.7 2,123 24.0 188W30BD D20L CP EUFAULA, AL 36.0 524 16.0 193W26EC-D D20L CP MOD MONTGOMERY, AL 180.7 4,265 12.0 89WLFW-LP D20L CP LAFAYETTE, GA 16.0 594 0.0 0W50BO D21L CP ASHVILLE, AL 1147.5 87,933 1111.5 83,818W16CM-D D21L LIC JASPER, AL 424.7 6,561 392.6 6,323WEEL-LD D21L CP TUSCALOOSA, AL 115.7 2,108 39.9 654
X16
Results: Displaced LPTV/TVT StationsAt 120 MHz recovery, 1469 stations displaced
Results: Displaced LPTV/TVT StationsAt 84 MHz recovery, 935 stations displaced
Summary: Displaced LPTV/TVT Stations
• Independent analysis conducted using cell‐based approach confirms result
• Calculate available channels at each cell and test whether the same channel is available everywhere within the LPTV contour
X1
none
14
14, 17, 18
Impact Summary
• At 120 MHz, 1,469 of 5,935 stations (25%) could not find new UHF channels
• At 84 MHz, 935 of 5,935 stations (16%) could not find new UHF channels
• Results under‐predict likely impacts because did not consider− Input channels− Daisy chains − Translator relays− Mexican and Canadian stations− Does not include reserving channels for Googleor unlicensed!
Google’s March Filing
Impact on LPTV/Translators
NAB • Study finds 25% of LPTV/TV
translator (1,468) stations can’t find new channels if 120 MHz reallocated
• 16% of LPTV/TV translators (935) stations can’t find replacement channels if 84 MHz reallocated
• Actual impact likely worse– Does not consider input channel
or other factors
Google• Claims little or no impact on
LPTV/TV translators from auction or “Google” vacant channels
• Ran 15,000 reverse auction simulations in 5 markets
• Claims only 0.01% of LPTV and 0.51% of translators impacted by auction and vacant channels
15,000 Wrongs Don’t Make a White (Space)!
• Google incorrectly assumed “participation” meant FCC would buy 40‐70% of stations, even in rural markets where no station buys are needed to meet spectrum recovery goals
15,000 Wrongs Don’t Make a White (Space)!
Google• Google incorrectly assumes 40‐
50% of full power and class A stations are purchased in the auction and taken off‐the‐air for 84 MHz recovery
• Google incorrectly assumes 60‐70% of eligible stations are purchased and taken off‐the‐air for 120 MHz recovery
100 FCC Sample Scenarios• FCC found on average 221
stations (13% of UHF stations and 10% of all eligible stations) needed to be purchased for 84 MHz
• FCC found on average 411 stations (24.5% of UHF stations and 19% of all stations) are needed for 120 MHz
Bottomline
• Incentive Auction will only purchase stations needed to meet spectrum recovery goal– FCC is NOT going to buy 3-5X more stations than
needed!• Errors in Google’s analysis confirmed in
phone conversations between Google and NAB
Google or Unlicensed Channels
• FCC proposal to reserve one or two channels for Google will make impact on TV Translators and LPTV worse
• At minimum, NAB has urged the FCC to wait till after the auction and actual impact can be fully quantified and assessed
• At 126 MHz, unlicensed will have access to 32 MHz between guard bands and channel 37!
Total Unlicensed Spectrum
Band Plan Guard Bands and Duplex Gap
(MHz)
Channel 37 (MHz) Total Unlicensed Spectrum
126 MHz 26 6 32 MHz
114 MHz 24 6 30 MHz
108 MHz 28 6 34 MHz
84 MHz 14 6 20 MHz
ATSC 3.0
• Petition filed April 13, 2106 by:– America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) – AWARN (Advanced Warning and Response Network) Alliance – Consumer Technology Association (CTA) and, – NAB
• Petition asks FCC to:– Approve Next Generation TV as a new, optional standard for
television broadcasting– Approve certain rule changes to permit “local simulcasting” to
ensure viewers can continue to receive broadcasts in current DTV standard
– Specify that Next Generation TV transmissions are “television broadcasting” in parity with the current DTV standard, and
– Conform Sections 73, 74 and 76 of the rules to permit the deployment of this innovative Next Gen standard
• Comments May 26 and replies June 27
Next Gen ATSC 3.0
Next Gen Benefits
• Flexible IP Delivery Platform – Targets IP‐enabled devices, PCs, Tablets,
Smart phones• Increase Data Capability
– UHDTV– 1080p – High Dynamic Range
• More Robust Reception – Mobility– SFNs – Emergency Alert Capability (Advanced
Warning and Response Network)• Geolocation Targeted Content
– Hyper Local Ads • Future Proof
Next Gen ATSC 3.0
• ATSC ability to support Single Frequency Networks (SFNs) may provide some spectrum relief for TV Translators
• However, many translators are more like On‐Channel Repeaters than SFNs and different requirements apply
• See ATSC A/111 Recommended Practice
