The U.S. Experience with the Digital Transition

1987: The FCC establishes the Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service to investigate the potential for advanced television services.

Early 1990s: Industry begins competition for U.S. digital standard

1996: “Grand Alliance” adopts ATSC as the DTV standard 1996-97: Congress grants each broadcaster an additional temporary 6 MHz channel for DTV transition and establishes a transition end date

1997: FCC adopts service rules and creates Table of Allotments for additional channels

1998: First DTV station on air

2002: Manufacturers required to include digital tuner in TV sets

Timeline of the U.S. Transition

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2004: Deadline set for stations to broadcast at full service, consumer education initiative begins

2006: Congress establishes “hard deadline” of February 17, 2009 and creates subsidy program for DTV converter boxes

2007-08: FCC finalizes DTV Table of Allotments and procedures for construction applications

2008-09: Subsidy coupons issued for DTV converter boxes; focus begins on consumer outreach and education

June 12, 2009: New hard deadline for the analog switchoff

2015: Digital conversion deadline for low-power TV, class A, translator stations

Timeline of the U.S. Transition

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U.S. Broadcaster Buildout

Timeline for stations to construct their digital transmission facilities

• Affiliates of Top 4 Commercial Networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC) in Top 30 Markets in 1999

• All other Commercial Stations by May 2002 • All Noncommercial Stations (400 of the 1800

total full power stations) by May 2003 • Simulcasting analog and digital until analog

switch-off in June 2009

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Gov’t Fixed/Mobile HAM

Harbor Navigation Land Mobile

UHF-DTV 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36

37 RAMT

UHF-DTV (600 MHz) to Wireless Broadband 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51

Low VHF-DTV Radio Astronomy Maritime Aviation

Land Mobile

Low VHF-DTV FM Radio Aircraft Navigation

Land Mobile Gov’t Fixed/Mobile

High VHF-DTV

2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13

UHF-DTV (700 MHz) to Wireless Broadband & Public Safety 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63

PS 64 PS 65 66 67 68

PS 69 PS

54MHz 60 66 72 76 82 88 174 180 186 192 198 204 210 216MHz

470MHz 476 482 488 494 500 506 512 518 524 530 536 542 548 554 560 566 572 578 584 590 596 602 608 614MHz

614MHz 620 626 632 638 644 650 656 662 668 674 680 686 692 698MHz

698MHz 704 710 716 722 728 734 740 746 752 758 764 770 776 782 788 794 800 806MHz

U.S. TV Spectrum Allocation Our Starting Point

1st Digital Transition in the U.S.

Incentive Auction; U.S. 2nd repacking done w/ Canada &

Mexico’s Partnership

• Equipment • DTV tuner requirement for receivers • Government subsidy for converter boxes

• Consumer Outreach • Distribution of TV Programming

• Over-the-air broadcasting • US had 1,800 full power analog television stations pre-transition • Fewer than 10 stations did not transition and ceased broadcasting • Major US local markets have 15-25 local television stations

• Pay Television • Almost 90 percent of US television households subscribe to a pay

service, either cable or satellite • Even in pay households, some TV sets rely on over-the-air

reception • Satellite and cable transitioned voluntarily to digital

• Digital, HD pay programming competes with broadcast programming

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Building Blocks of the U.S. DTV Transition Securing An Effective Transition

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Outreach Efforts The FCC’s Role in Consumer Education

FCC spent nearly $130 million on consumer outreach • Consumer education (print, TV and radio announcements)

• One-on-one assistance with installation of

converter boxes, “boots on the ground” by FCC staff

• Publications were developed in English and Spanish & key publications were translated into 29 languages

• FCC used existing toll-free call center • http://www.DTV.gov

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Domestic Outreach Efforts Other Agencies & Private Sector’s Role in Consumer Education

NTIA spent $1.3 billion for coupon program • Subsidy coupon was used to purchase a

digital-to-analog converter box • Two coupons per household • Worth $40 each TV broadcasters spent $1.2 billion on outreach • Public service announcements • Consumer publications • Public appearances

TVStudy Digital TV broadcasting Interference Analysis Software

• TV Study creates mapping files showing contours, interference ration, etc. as well as data files showing station data, population, terrain coverage, etc.

• Used by the U.S., Canada, and Mexico

• Program Specifications: • Longley Rice Methodology • Supports ATSC 1.0 • ATSC 3.0 support planned

• Use in U.S. 600 MHz Incentive Auction: • Developed channel constraints

for stations and analyzed possible inter-service interference

• Confirmed auction results

• Available to the public for download on the FCC website:

• Open source code in Java and C • https://www.fcc.gov/oet/tvstudy

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U.S. DTV Transition – 700 MHz The First Hop

• 108 MHz of UHF spectrum reclaimed in the 700 MHz band • 74 MHz commercial use (assigned by auction) 34 MHz public safety (no

auction) • 24 MHz pursuant to 1997 Congressional legislation • 10 MHz to be assigned pursuant to February 2012 Congressional legislation

• Cross-border coordination with Canada and Mexico on both the commercial and public safety segments of the band

• Auction completed prior to June, 2009 analog switch-off date

• Net auction proceeds $19.6 billion, yielded $1.287/MHz-pop • Impact in U.S. – Helped facilitate deployment of 4G LTE

Results - LTE Coverage All Spectrum Bands – December 2016

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U.S. Incentive Auction – 600 MHz The Second Hop

• Reallocated broadcast spectrum to mobile use for 4G and 5G • Auction process yielded 84 MHz of spectrum for flexible use

• Interaction of broadcaster offers and bids of new potential users determined amount of spectrum recovered

• Disposition of auction proceeds • broadcasters reducing spectrum usage receive payment • remaining broadcasters reimbursed for relocation expenses

• Broadcaster participation in auction was voluntary; repacking is compulsory

• Reverse Auction resulted in $10.05 billion revenues to winning broadcast stations

• Forward Auction resulted in $19.8 billion gross revenues • Cross-border cooperation on 600 MHz reconfiguration with

Mexico and Canada • Opportunities and lessons learned for other countries

On November 16, 2017, the FCC approved a Report and Order to allow for the voluntary rollout of Next Generation television standards in the U.S. This rulemaking: Allows television broadcasters to use Next Generation TV on a voluntary,

market-driven basis

Substantially improved, free, over-the-air television broadcast service, and fiercer competition in the video marketplace

Broadcasters can offer innovative services to consumers Public safety alerts and educational programming

Does not impose a government mandate that new television receivers include a Next Gen TV tuner; letting consumer demand drive the market

ATSC 3.0 Next Generation Broadcasting

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Lessons Learned for DTV Transition Best Practices

• Move in one hop, not two • Establish national partnerships with: government agencies, national

consumer groups and industry groups (broadcaster, cable operators, equipment manufactures, retailers)

• Have a consistent message and strong outreach effort by both government and industry (web pages, call center, publications, frequently asked questions, equipment information)

• Perform earlier and more transition test markets to mitigate potential loss of signal issues

• Educational materials and training should be developed well in advance and updated as test market experience identifies the need for revisions

• Ensure that the households have the appropriate digital antennas

FCC International Visitors Program Detailed Information on Digital Transition Issues

• Offers international delegations of regulators, broadcasters, legislators, and policy makers the opportunity to visit the FCC and meet with FCC subject matter experts on ALL FCC issues

• A great opportunity to make FCC contacts, to share perspectives, and to learn firsthand about FCC policies and procedures

• Program hosts and average of 300-400 visits from approximately 100 countries each year

• Website – https://www.fcc.gov/general/international-visitors-program

• Requests for briefings can be submitted in writing to Ms. Janice Shields (Janice.Shields@fcc.gov)

Thank you!

Thomas Sullivan Chief, International Bureau

Federal Communications Commission Thomas.Sullivan@fcc.gov