A total of twenty television stations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands impacted by Hurricanes Irma and Maria can build their new transmission facilities so they can change channels earlier than their official repack schedule. The FCC’s Incentive Auction Task Force and Media Bureau okayed the request last week. T-Mobile and Electronics Research Inc. support the action.
Chairman Ajit Pai said the move is important to expedite the restoration of communications services on the islands. “Before, many broadcast television stations in Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were facing a choice between two bad options: either remain dark for months or years to come, or restore service on their pre-auction channel, only to have to rebuild their broadcast facility again in a year or two. Now, stations are no longer confronting that choice because they’ll be able to use their post-auction channel more quickly.”
Affected stations will also be allowed to access the TV Broadcaster Reimbursement Fund to cover portions of their recovery costs related to the channel reassignment, Pai added. The stations told the FCC their early transition will not divert resources from other transitioning stations because they will “leverage rebuilding efforts already underway on the islands” and take advantage of “excess capacity of vendors” available prior to Phase 1.
TV antenna manufacturer ERI told the Commission it can help the build for these stations without impacting its ability to support the transition efforts of other stations. The stations also told the agency that moving early allows swift clearing of the 600 MHz band, enabling the deployment of new wireless broadband services, which is “desperately needed in the islands.” T-Mobile agreed, noting its facilities were heavily damaged by the hurricanes, and the stations’ early transition will aid T-Mobile’s rebuilding efforts by facilitating its inclusion of new 600 MHz equipment in its plans. Read a list of stations moving early in the “Appendix”.
January 15, 2018
Reader Interactions