Posted on 01/16/2009 5:29:52 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
Chicago (IL) - The transition to digital television (DTV) has taken long enough in the opinions of many, and if the deadline is pushed back any further it will mean that faster wireless broadband will also be delayed. But why?
On February 17th, 2009, analog broadcast television stations will be forced to transfer all of their programming to digital channels as part of a process which reclaims the valuable frequencies in the 700MHz band for subsequent delivery to mobile broadband providers.
The Federal government has made many attempts to prepare consumers for the switch, and currently the Obama administration is recommending yet another extension.
The transition began on Thursday as Hawaiian television stations were set to go all digital on an early deadline. Hawaii was responsible for making the change early to make a smooth transition from one antenna site to another on the Big Island. The television stations are relocating their towers away from the slopes of the Halekala volcano prior to the nesting season of an endangered bird - the dark-rumped petrel.
The transition in Hawaii has gone well thus far, though the reactions of consumers have yet to be made public.
Verizon Wireless and AT&T both have plans to utilize the new 700MHz spectrum for the next best thing in mobile broadband - which is based on Long Term Evolution technology. Verizon is nervous that a delay in the switch to digital television could mean a delay in the release of the Verizon Wireless LTE network which should rollout this year.
AT&T and Verizon have both voiced their concerns about the delay to lawmakers pointing out that both companies paid billions of dollars in an auction for the 700MHz spectrum license.
Verizon desperately wants to roll out the LTE network because they can’t really do much more with their current 3G network, which is based on EV-DO (Evolution-Data Optimized) technology, and it just isn’t fast enough to meet consumer's demand.
With their goal being better business, Verizon has every reason to oppose an extension in the deadline for the digital switch as a delay could hold back testing and deployment of new income streams for the company.
Deploying a new technology is challenging enough without having further delays.
“which reclaims the valuable frequencies in the 700MHz band”
Wow, I never heard of a 700 MHz band, but I’m only an EE.
Guess they invented that after I left college. We have morons reporting the news. You can tell them anything and they just write it down and think it’s gospel.
“which reclaims the valuable frequencies in the 700MHz band”
Wow, I never heard of a 700 MHz band, but I’m only an EE.
Guess they invented that after I left college. We have morons reporting the news. You can tell them anything and they just write it down and think it’s gospel.
Sorry for the double post, this time it was my fault.
The ones a few months back happened to a bunch of us, it was a
SW problem.
First of all...there is no Obama Administration...yet
I’m not so sure the double post was my fault, the FR SW seems to be looping again. Like I said, FR has had this problem before.
Welcome to the club. Never heard of a “700 Mhz band” either.
FWIW, here’s what I’ve heard about this “LTE” horsecrap:
The 700Mc spectrum was auctioned off under the moniker “Auction 73” to bidders, of which Verizon was one.
There are a couple of chunks of the spectrum that are contiguous 22-Mc wide clear spans. The “LTE” plan holds forth with the theoretical bandwidths of 100MB/sec down, 50MB/sec up, with coverage over most urban areas.
As a somewhat jaded EE having seen some of this stuff talked up much larger than the talkers’ wallets, let me just say this about that:
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Yet, despite its current non-existence it has managed to become the most corrupt regime in American history.
Good Point. The state of reporting is sad indeed. Like why is this included in the story and not other salient information.
The television stations are relocating their towers away from the slopes of the Halekala volcano prior to the nesting season of an endangered bird - the dark-rumped petrel
The remainder of those channels are sparsely populated.
Check your local listings and see how many channels you can receive above channel 51 as they are the only ones desired for mobile broadband.
http://www.tvtower.com/Commercial%20Television%20Frequencies.html#tv
Lots of interesting data and graphics, and it explains a lot.
Bzzt. Though the magic of virtual channels, the actual channel number for the digital channel is hidden. For example, in the Lansing market
6 = 59
10 = 57
18 = 34
23 = 55
47 = 38
53 = 51
To a guide it might look like there is only one channel in the 52 though 69, but actually there are 4 using those frequencies (one analog, three digital). Under current law, stations in 52 - 69 need to leave the frequencies after 2/17/09
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