# Presentation: 809660

## Digital Low Power TV and TV Translator Rules and Policies

- AFCCE Luncheon
- January 20, 2006

- _[Keith.Larson@fcc.gov](mailto:Keith.Larson@fcc.gov)__                  (202) 418-2607 __[Hossein.Hashemzadeh@fcc.gov](mailto:Hossein.Hashemzadeh@fcc.gov)__ (202) 418-1600_

## Slide 2

## Digital LPTV Is Here! 

- Digital LPTV Is Here!

*Report and Order*  (MB Docket No. 03–185)
- Adopted:  September 9, 2004

## Topics

- LPTV/translator digital transition
- Means of digital conversion
- Spectrum
- Interference protection
- Other technical criteria
- Permissible service

## Goals

- Hasten transition to digital service
- Minimize disruption of existing service

- Analog TV

- Digital TV

- 40%

- 20%

- 60%

- 80%

- 0%

- Where are we?

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- If and when must Class A, LPTV, and TV translators convert to digital and cease analog transmissions?

## Full-Power DTV Transition Ends 

- Or later when 85% of households in a “market” can “receive” DTV signals

- December

- 2006

## Findings 

- Class A, LPTV and TV translator stations must ultimately convert to digital
- FCC has discretion to set separate analog transmission end-date for these stations
- Less disruptive to set date some fixed time after the deadline for full-service stations
- Will consider establishing a transition deadline in the FCC’s 3rd DTV periodic review proceeding, unless preempted by Congressional action

## AUCTON 81

**Auction of non-daisy chain groups started September 14****th**** and ended September 26****th**** **
**See DA 05-2543,  released September 30, 2005**
**114 Groups,  305 Applications.**
**90 Winners,  24 Groups did not submit a bid.**

## Auction 81 Continued

- Total revenue  $997,100
- Maximum bid $253,000 For Laredo, Texas, Minimum bid $1000 for different communities.
- Daisy chain MX groups auction , no date have been set.
- Close to 800 applications, 80 groups.

##  FREEZE ORDER

- Public Notice Released August 3, 2004
- Freeze was imposed in order to develop a channel election and repacking process to assign DTV channel in the core TV spectrum for eligible TV stations.
- Freeze does not apply to LPTV and TV translator stations.

## CONTINUE

- Modification applications that does not change the coverage can be filed.
- Class A displacement applications and applications for coverage changes can not be filed
- STA will be issued if disruption of service is imminent.

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- Means for LPTV/translator digital conversion

- Option 1:  “Flashcut” existing analog channel to digital operation

## DIGITAL FLASH- CUT APPLICATION PROCESSING 

- NEW FORMS 346 AND 301-CA, VERSION FEBRUARY 2005 TO BE USED
- EXISTING LICENSEES OR PERMITTES WITH A VALID CONSTRUCTION PERMIT CAN FILE ON-CHANNEL DIGITAL CONVERSION AS MINOR CHANGES TO THEIR EXISTING ANALOG FACILITIES.

## FLASH-CUT CONTINUED

-   A.  NO CHANNEL CHANGE.
-   B.  THE NEW PROTECTED CONTOUR   OF PROPOSED DIGITAL FACILITIES SHOULD OVERLAP THE ANALOG FACILITIES OF LPTV AND TV TRANSLATOR.

## Flashcut:  File “minor change” application

- Must be continuity of analog and digital service areas

## FLASH CUT CONTINUED

- C. BECAUSE OF THE FREEZE, THE NEW PROTECTED CONTOUR OF A CLASS A DIGITAL FLASH CUT PROPOSAL SHOULD BE WITHIN THE EXISTING PROTECTED CONTOUR OF THE CLASS A STATION.

## FLASH CUT (CONTINUED)

-    D. FIRST COME-FIRST SERVED BASIS.
-        THE APPLICATION WILL BE CUT OFF
-         THE DAY IT’S FILED.
-    E.  THREE-YEAR CONSTRUCTION PERIOD WILL BE GIVEN TO FLASH-CUT APPLICATIONS IF THE LICENSED FACILITY IS FLASH CUT.

## CONTINUED

- F. IF THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT IS FLASH CUT, THEN THE NEW DIGITAL CONSTRUCTION PERMIT WILL RECEIVE THE REMAINING OF THE THREE YEARS PERIOD.

## FLASH CUT

- G.IF LICENSED FACILITY HAVE A VALID CONSTRUCTION PERMIT, THE CONSTRUCTION PERMIT CAN BE FLASH CUT, HOWEVER ONLY ONE  LICENSED FACILITIES  AT ANY TIME. CAN NOT USE THE NEW DIGITAL CP AS COMPANION CHANNEL.
- FILING FEES:
- NO FILING FEES IF LPTV OR TV Translator.

## FLASH CUT

- FOR CLASS A STATIONS THE FEE IS THE SAME AS MINOR CHANGE IN LICENSED FACILITIES.
- ANY  STATION THAT HAS A LICENSE, CONSTRUCTION PERMIT, OR PENDING APPLICATION FOR ON-CHANNEL CONVERSION WIL NOT BE ELIGIBLE TO SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR COMPANION DIGITAL CHANNEL

## FLASH CUT CONTINUED

- NEW SERVICE DESIGNATION:
- DIGITAL LPTV AND TV TRANSLATORS “LD”
- DIGITAL CLASS A STATIONS  “DC”
- RECEIVED 23 APPLICATIONS.
- 13 HAVE BEEN GRANTED

## FLASH CUT CONTINUED

- CALL SIGN DESIGNATIONS:
- IF THE EXISTING CALL SIGN IS A COMBINATION OF LETTERS AND NUMBERS, FOR EXAMPLE K34DX THEN THE DIGITAL AUTHORIZATION WILL BE ASSIGNED K34DX-D.

## FLASH CUT CONTINUED

- IF STATION HAS A FOUR LETTER CALL SIGN FOR EXAMPLE: KABC-LP OR KABC-CA.   THEN FOR LPTV AND TV TRANSLATOR STATIONS THE NEW CALL SIGN OF KABC-LD AND  FOR CLASS A STATIONS THE NEW CALL SIGN OF KABC-DC CAN BE REQUESTED VIA THE CALL SIGN DATA BASE.

## CDBS UPDATE

- NON FORM  FILINGS:

## CDBS CONTINUED

- FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS;
- FRN MANAGER,:
- https://svartifoss2.fcc.gov/cdbs/frnmanager/

- Option 2:  Seek digital “companion channel” for transitional analog & digital station operations

## LPTV and Class A  On-channel Digital Conversion Comparison

| Service of existing analog station | LPTV | Class A |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Regulatory status of digital station | LPTV Secondary | Class A Primary |
| Application form | 346 | 301-CA |

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11001001  10010011  11100110  11110100 10101100  10101011

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- 11110100 10101100  10101011 1110

- Pro:  Offer digital service without losing audience receiving analog service

- Cons:  (1)  Budget to run both analog and digital station and (2) initial digital audience may be very small

## Nationwide Digital Companion Channel Filing Window

- Digital companion channel to be paired with a station’s analog channel in same community (but without requirement for program simulcast)
- Cannot apply for a companion channel associated with a station that has an authorization or pending application to flash cut to digital
- Only for permittees and licensees of LPTV, TV translator and Class A stations

## Process for Digital Companion Channel Window

- Public Notice will announce dates of the window and freeze on filing of minor change applications, including digital flash cut applications
- Window opens – electronically file Form 175, declaring locations and channels of interest
- No filing fee
- Anticipate Form 175 will include the application Tech Box

## (Continued)

- Freeze lifted on filing of minor change applications
- Application “singletons” identified and call for filing of “long form applications”
- Period for engineering solutions & settlements to resolve mutually exclusive applications
- Auction procedures for mutually exclusive applications
- At a time to be determined later, must return one of the paired channels

## Subsequent First-Come-First Serve Application Filing Procedure

- Will be announced by public notice
- Not limited to incumbents
- Applications must protect earlier-filed applications
- Conflicting applications filed on the same day subject to competitive bidding process

## What are the priorities with respect to displacement relief applications? 

- Analog and digital displacement relief applications have priority over applications for new or modified digital facilities, including digital conversion applications
- May file for a replacement channel and on-channel digital conversion in the same application

## What are the priorities with respect to displacement relief applications? 

- Digital displacement applications have priority over analog displacement applications
- When mutually exclusive, the lower priority application will be dismissed

## LPTV and Class A  Licensee Digital Channel Comparison

| Service of existing analog station | LPTV | Class A |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Service & regulatory status of digital companion station | Part 74 Secondary | Part 74 Secondary  |
| Application form | 346 | 301-CA |

## Use of Channels 52-60 by Digital LPTV and Translator Stations

## Channels 52-69

- Available for displacement relief and digital conversion of existing analog stations
- Channels 52-59 also available for digital companion channels if no suitable in-core channel is available
- By law, channels 60-69 must be vacated by end of the full-power DTV transition

## Notification Requirements for Applicants for Digital Operations on Channels 52-69

- Must notify in writing within 30 days of filing FCC application Form 346 potentially affected co-channel and adjacent channel commercial wireless licensees and regional and state frequency administrators of adjacent channel public safety spectrum
- Notification/coordination zone about digital station:
- 75 miles  - co-channel
- 50 miles - adjacent channel

## LOWER 700 MHz Bandplan

- (Channels 52-59)

- Commercial wireless band manager

## Denver  Channel 54              

## 700 MHz C-Block  Licensee Identification

- _[http://wireless.fcc.gov/](http://wireless.fcc.gov/)__  _
- Click <License Search> (Under Licensing)
- Click <Market Based>
- Enter <Market Code>
- 	      e.g., CMA350  (for RSA 350, Garfield, CO)
- Highlight <Radio Service Code>
- 	      WZ, Lower 700 MHz band
- Click <Submit>

## We have an answer !

- Click on <name> for contact information
- Address
- Phone, fax & e-mail
- Contact person
- Attorney contact information

## Qualcomm is the sole licensee of the 700 MHz spectrum comprising TV Channel 55  

## UPPER 700 MHz Bandplan

- (Channels 60-69)

- 62    **63   64**    65   66    67   **68    69**

- TV Channel

-  60  61

- Public Safety

- Wireless Band Manager

## Channels 60-69

- Must secure “coordinated use agreement” with public safety frequency administrators before filing “flash-cut” application on channels 63, 64, 68 or 69
- Regional Planning Committee(s)
- State Interoperability Executive Committee(s)

## Public Safety Channels 63,64, 68 & 69

- _[http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/plans.html](http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/plans.html)__ _

- Put cursor inside Colorado and click for information on public safety Region 7

## Denver  Channel 64              

- Regional Coordinator and State of Colorado contact:
- Region 7 700 MHz Planning Committee Radio Systems Manager, Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office

- _[http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/regchair.html](http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/regchair.html)_

- _[http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/interop-contacts.html](http://wireless.fcc.gov/publicsafety/700MHz/interop-contacts.html)_

## Operations on Channels 52-69

- Secondary to commercial wireless or public safety operations
- Must cease use of channels 60-69 per public safety coordinated use agreement or, if later, the end of the full-service DTV transition
- Existing or future wireless licensee may serve digital translator or LPTV licensee a notice of potential conflict within 120 days of commencing new or modified operation

## Channels 52-59

- Digital station must cease operating within 120 days of receiving notice unless
- start  of wireless service is delayed
- agreement is reached with wireless licensee or
- FCC request for stay is granted
- Station licensee may seek replacement channel

## Digital Protected Signal Contours and Current ERP Limits

| Channels | Protected Contour | Effective Radiated Power |
| --- | --- | --- |
| 2-6 | 43 dBu | 300 watts |
| 7-13 | 48 dBu | 300 watts |
| 14-69 | 51 dBu | 15,000 watts |

## Signal Coverage

- UHF station:  300 feet above average terrain;  15,000 watts

- X

- 26 mi

- 51 dBu

- F(50,90) =

## Signal Coverage

- UHF digital translator:  2000’ above average terrain

- 250 watts

## Analog Translator & LPTV Interference Methodology:  Contour Protection

## Interference Protection Considerations

- Permit interference avoidance techniques (e.g., co-located operations on adjacent channels)

- Ensure adequate protection

- Account for terrain, interference masking and receiving antenna characteristics

- Permit interference acceptance agreements among stations in the LPTV and Class A services

## Adopted D/U Interference Thresholds

- Except for adjacent channel interference from digital stations, apply § 73.623(c) of DTV rules
- Examples for co-channel protection
- Digital protecting digital:      + 15  dB
- Digital protecting analog:      + 34  dB

## D/U Ratios for Interference From First Adjacent Channel Stations

| Emission Mask | DTV-into-Analog | DTV-into-DTV |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Simple |           10 dB |          - 7 dB |
| Stringent |             0 dB |          -12 dB |

## Adopted DTV Prediction Methodology Tailored for LPTV

-      OET Bulletin 69        Longely Rice Propagation

**Notes:**
For every radial get lat and long and look for bounding values.  Draw box and divide into 2 km cells.
If grid is 80 x 100 miles (129 x 161 km), then create 65 x 80cell grid with 5200cells.   

## D/U Signal Strength Ratios

- *

- +

- +

- Protected Signal Strength:  D (dBu)

- Potentially Interfering Signal Strength: U (dBu)

## Adopted DTV Approach for Interference Analysis of Digital Translator/LPTV/Class A Stations                 (OET Bulletin 69 Methods & Longley-Rice Propagation Model)

- Adopted DTV _Approach_ for Interference Analysis of Digital Translator/LPTV/Class A Stations                 (OET Bulletin 69 Methods & Longley-Rice Propagation Model)

## Permitted Service Population Reductions Due to Digital Translator & LPTV Stations

| Protected Station | Population Reduction Allowance |
| --- | --- |
| Full-service DTV | 0.5 % |
| Full-service TV | 0.5 % |
| Analog or digital Class A | 0.5 % |
| Analog or digital TV translator or LPTV | 2.0 % |

## Need to Tailor Assumed Vertical Antenna Pattern in Table 8. of OET 69 Model for Typical Antennas Used by LPTV Stations

-         Assumed vertical relative field =  0.110 for Φ >= 6  degrees

- ERPMAX = 10 kW

- ERP (6o =  121 watts)

- 6 o

- 1000 feet

- 10 miles

- Φ

- =

## Assumed Vertical Antenna Pattern

- As temporary measure, will double values in Table 8 of OET Bulletin 69 up to a value of 1.00
- FCC open to a revised procedure if more realistic assumed vertical field strength values are proposed

## Transmission Issues

- Require FCC Certification of New Digital Translator and LPTV Transmitters

## Key Transmitter Performance Criteria for Certification

- Produces output signal that can be satisfactorily viewed on receivers designed for FCC DTV transmission standard
- Does not exceed the maximum rated “digital average” power output under any condition
- Out-of-channel emissions at output terminals (including all output filtering) meet the attenuation requirements of the “simple” mask
- Local oscillator frequency of RF upconverter must be maintained within 10 kHz

## Emission Masks

- Total Average Channel Power

- 0.5 MHz

- -0.5 MHz

- 6 MHz

- - 6 MHz

- 6 MHz Channel

- 3

- 3

- 47 dB down

- 76 dB

- 76 dB

- 71 dB

- 71 dB

## Emission Resolution Bandwidth

- Standard bandwidth of 500 kHz
- Results from any alternate bandwidth should be converted to equivalent results from 500 kHz bandwidth:
-   A (dB) = Aalternative + 10 log (BWalternative /500)

## GPS Protection From 2nd and 3rd Harmonic Emissions

- GPS frequency bands:  1164-1215 MHz, 1215-1240 MHz and 1559-1610 MHz
- Affects only TV channels 22-24, 32-36, 38 and 65-69
- For FCC certification, transmitter must employ filtering that attenuates harmonic emissions in the GPS bands by at least 85 dB
- Field measurements of the second or third harmonic output of transmitters so equipped are not required

## Modification of Transmission Systems

- Permit modification of existing analog equipment for digital transmissions (*e.g.*, use analog final RF amplifiers)
- Station licensee must notify FCC upon completion of modifications (and certify that any custom modifications comply with technical requirements)
- Licensee must maintain records of the nature of the modifications, test procedures and results for period of two years

## Program System & Information Protocol (PSIP)

- Data in the DTV bit stream for channel navigation, closed captioning, electronic program guide and other functions
- Virtual Channel Table facilitates electronic tuning
- Viewers tune to DTV station’s “Major Channel” – the station’s corresponding NTSC channel number (e.g., channel 7.0)
- “Minor Channel” numbers identify specific DTV services or program channels (e.g., 7.1, 7.2, ...)
- PSIP is voluntary for LPTV, required for Class A

## On-channel Digital TV Translators

- Same transmission and interference standards and application filing procedures as digital translator & LPTV stations

## What digital service is required and permitted?

## Whenever operating, must transmit a free off-air video programming service of at least analog TV technical quality
Intended for reception by the general public using receivers based on the FCC transmission standard (i.e., 8-VSB modulation) 

- Intended for reception by the general public using receivers based on the FCC transmission standard (*i.e.*, 8-VSB modulation)

## Dynamic Bit Allocation Options (19.38 megabits/sec)

**Notes:**
HDTV and SDTV
Video formats and aspect ratios

Dynamic bit allocation – on the fly.

## Ancillary and Supplementary Services

- Pay TV

- Can partner with outside service providers

- Annual fee of 5% of gross revenues from feeable services

- Examples:  Data sent to TV or computer, subscription video, downstream internet, paging

**Notes:**
Minimum free off-air video program requirement of at least NTSC quality.
Then transmit A&S services, including subscription services
Examples:  Publications data, audio service (music), subscription video on demand, games, paging service
Partner with other services providers.  

## THANK YOU FRIENDS

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