FCC Seeks Input on LTE Interference With TVs

The FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology is seeking additional input on the FCC's measurements of potential interference of wireless LTE with DTV stations after the incentive auctions and TV station repacking.

That came after the National Association of Broadcasters and others expressed concern with that interference, and the way the FCC was measuring it, following the FCC's decision not to go with a national band plan, but instead one that could have TV stations and wireless operations on the same or adjacent channels in nearby markets.

Also raising concerns about the assumptions FCC used to draw its conclusions about LTE interference to TV stations were the network affiliate associations, The Association of Public Television Stations, The Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and PBS.

Broadcasters are also concerned about a related issue, which is the FCC's decision to change the OET-69 methodology/software/data (there is a dispute between broadcasters and the FCC over just what is changing) for calculating post-station repacking interference.

The FCC gave commenters until July 11 to weigh in on the LTE/DTV interference issue.

John Eggerton

Contributing editor John Eggerton has been an editor and/or writer on media regulation, legislation and policy for over four decades, including covering the FCC, FTC, Congress, the major media trade associations, and the federal courts. In addition to Multichannel News and Broadcasting + Cable, his work has appeared in Radio World, TV Technology, TV Fax, This Week in Consumer Electronics, Variety and the Encyclopedia Britannica.