UPDATE T-Mobile already offered to help non-commercial television translators pay to move to a different channel during the spectrum repack. Now, the carrier has offered to do the same for low-power television translators that must move twice to accommodate T-Mobile’s aggressive broadband deployment schedule in the 600 MHz band.
T-Mobile told the FCC on Monday it will compensate LPTV’s for the additional move “and help ensure that their service to the public is not disrupted.” The LPTV Spectrum Coalition lobbied for assistance for its members and called the T-Mobile action, “doing LPTV a solid!”
“T-Mobile has spent considerable time and money to better understand broadcasters’ needs and to accelerate broadcasters’ post-auction transition to new facilities,” the carrier tells the agency. “Our efforts include investing in broadcast equipment manufacturing capacity and installation resources and providing relocation assistance to public television stations,” which Inside Towers reported.
“T-Mobile today announces that it will assist in paying the duplicative costs that low-power television and TV translator licensees might reasonably incur as a result of T-Mobile’s rapid 600 MHz broadband deployment.” LPTVs and TV translators operate on a secondary basis and have fewer protections than full-power and Class A licensees. Secondary stations must end operations in the 600 MHz band after receiving notice from the new licensees in that band. T-Mobile confirms it already notified some of those LPTVs and TV translators they need to move, to avoid causing harmful interference to its mobile broadband operations.
Displaced LPTVs and TV translators can file applications to access other channels in the repacked TV band or enter into channel-sharing arrangements in a special FCC Media Bureau window in November; but some may need to move before that, hence T-Mobile’s offer, which did not specify how many stations could be impacted.
July 18, 2017
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