Big mainstream demand for ATSC 3.0-enabled TVs is coming, but it's a couple of years out, with a lack of widespread consumer familiarity causing the delay, CTA Senior Director-Business Intelligence Richard Kowalski said Friday during the NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. CTA anticipates a big leap in set availability, starting in 2026. Meanwhile, broadcast and emergency alert system advocates talked about integrating ATSC 3.0 into the emergency alerts ecosphere.
Matt Daneman
Matt Daneman, Senior Editor, covers pay TV, cable broadband, satellite, and video issues and the Federal Communications Commission for Communications Daily. He joined Warren Communications in 2015 after more than 15 years at the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle, where he covered business among other issues. He also was a correspondent for USA Today. You can follow Daneman on Twitter: @mdaneman
The U.S. needs to move toward a firm date for the end of mandatory simulcast of ATSC 1.0 and 3.0 signals and fully transition to ATSC 3.0, but it's too early to say when that date should be, NAB CEO Curtis LeGeyt said Thursday at the NextGen Broadcast Conference in Washington. Conference-goers applauded the call for a transition deadline, and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr echoed it, saying he would support a proceeding about the issue. Carr also suggested gauging broadcast and wireless industry interest in an "incentive auction 2.0" for low-band spectrum.
The FCC's proposed crackdown on video carriage agreements' most-favored nation (MFN) and alternative distribution method (ADM) provisions is being met with huzzahs from independent programmers and allies. But docket 24-115 comments last week saw multichannel video programming distributors (MVPD) argue that the more-pressing problem is big programmers forcing contractual terms. The agency's commissioners in April approved 3-2 an indie-programmer NPRM that proposed restrictions on carriage agreement terms and sought comment on bundling practices broadly (see 2404190063).
Expect cable operators to roll out plenty of mobile wireless services in coming months, wireless and cable industry watchers tell us. However, mid-tier and regional cable operators are facing a steeper uphill climb in making such services profitable. Breezeline began offering mobile service this spring, joining the likes of Comcast, Charter Communications, Altice and Cox Communications. Mediacom said it plans a roll out of mobile service this month (see 2405210068).
Increased lunar activity is revealing a host of unanswered spectrum and other regulatory questions, space law experts said Tuesday at an American Bar Association space law symposium in Washington. In addition, legal liability questions about space mishaps are another area with more uncertainty than definitive answers, speakers said.
Don't expect traditional methods of protecting radio astronomy from spectral interference to work when it comes to supplemental coverage from space (SCS), according to radio astronomy interests. In comments last week (docket 23-65), radio astronomy advocates repeatedly warned that SCS service poses a significant interference risk. Multiple parties said SCS service is too new to justify emergency calling requirements. The FCC's SCS framework order adopted in March (see 2403140050) included a Further NPRM on 911 and radio astronomy issues.
Any spectrum allocation for in-space servicing, assembly and manufacturing (ISAM) operations won't happen without a fight. Numerous space operators and other spectrum interests pushed back in docket 22-271 reply comments this week against any ISAM-specific spectrum allocation. Space operators also disagreed on how far the FCC's authority reaches when it comes to ISAM regulations that don't deal with radiofrequency issues. The FCC's authority was also questioned in initial comments in the ISAM licensing NPRM (see 2404290039).
Satellite-delivered consumer broadband is increasingly concentrating in low earth orbit (LEO), with SpaceX's growth expected to start facing competition from Amazon's Kuiper within months, satellite industry experts tell us. Geostationary orbit (GSO) providers continue losing residential broadband subscribers, though EchoStar says it sees a slower decline. Viasat has begun redirecting residential broadband spectrum capacity to other uses.
Satellite broadband has a niche role in some of the state broadband equity, access and deployment program plans that NTIA has approved thus far. Multiple states' finalized BEAD volume 2 plans indicate that satellite is a last-resort option absent fiber proposals. Other states exclude satellite in their cured volume 2 plans. Seven states and the District of Columbia have received NTIA sign-off on their volume 2 plans.
NTIA Administrator Alan Davidson came under repeated fire Wednesday from House Republicans for low-cost offering requirements in the broadband equity, access and deployment (BEAD) program, with the lawmakers repeatedly charging -- and Davidson denying -- they amount to rate regulation. The House Communications Subcommittee oversight hearing also saw lawmakers chide one another across the aisle about the looming funding cliff of the affordable connectivity program (ACP).