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Author Topic: FCC 600MHz Auction Update  (Read 10866 times)

Henry Cohen

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FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« on: April 29, 2016, 02:49:05 PM »

The FCC issued a public notice today announcing:

- 126 MHz initial spectrum clearing target (set by the Auction System’s initial clearing target determination procedure. In other words, over the last 4 weeks enough broadcasters formally committed to participate in the reverse auction that FCC figures there’s 126 MHz of spectrum to be sold).
- Band plan for the initial stage of the incentive auction (basically down through channel 30 / 566MHz).
- Actual reverse auction begins May 31st.

The Public Notice is here.

Here's the best guess at the timeline going forward from today:
- Reverse auction will take about 6 to 8 weeks (July 31).
- Results of reverse auction and issuance of Public Notice will take about 3-4 weeks (Aug 31).
- Forward auction will begin maybe a couple of weeks later, and take anywhere from 4-10 weeks (Nov 30).
- Several weeks (months?) for results of forward auction and issuance of Public Notice including new band plan (sometime 1st qtr 2017).
- 39 month transition clock starts for deadline to vacate (2nd qtr 2020) . . . BUT if testing begins sooner in a given market, low power devices must vacate sooner. Testing of new systems in major urban markets will begin as early as 3-4 months after Public Notice is issued (figure beginning of 3rd qtr 2017).

So 600MHz UHF mics/coms/IEMs/IFBs will likely begin to experience interference in major urban markets as early as early as summer 2017.
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Henry Cohen

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Mac Kerr

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This can't be good...
« Reply #1 on: April 29, 2016, 04:39:17 PM »

Today the FCC announced that it has "cleared" 126Mhz of spectrum in the first phase of the 600Mhz auction. While I don't fully understand all the ins and outs of this process, I think this means they have agreements from broadcasters to vacate their current spectrum so the FCC can auction it off to wireless carriers. The 126Mhz is the maximum amount the FCC was shooting for, which will probably mean the maximum detrimental impact on our industry after that spectrum is then successfully auctioned off to the telco and data industries. Someone correct me if I am reading this wrong.

Mac

edit: Hmmm.. I got scooped by Henry. His post has more info, but I've merged them.
« Last Edit: April 29, 2016, 06:22:10 PM by Mac Kerr »
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #2 on: May 01, 2016, 01:03:15 PM »

Somehow I missed that the 600mHz auction would go below 598-ish.

All this so people can stream content to a tiny box.  Bah, humbug.
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Ray Aberle

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #3 on: May 01, 2016, 07:38:52 PM »

All this so people can stream content to a tiny box.  Bah, humbug.

It's so you can play games on Facebook, Tim. Surely you agree that's important?!?

-Ray
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Tim McCulloch

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #4 on: May 01, 2016, 11:26:46 PM »

It's so you can play games on Facebook, Tim. Surely you agree that's important?!?

-Ray

I'd like it more if I made money from it.  And what is "facebook"?
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"If you're passing on your way, from Palm Springs to L.A., Give a wave to good ol' Dave, Say hello to progress and goodbye to the Moonlight Motor Inn." - Steve Spurgin, Moonlight Motor Inn

Ray Aberle

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #5 on: May 02, 2016, 09:54:10 AM »

And what is "facebook"?
I dunno... It's what the kids are smoking these days, I think.

I'd like it more if I made money from it.
That's been my exact point all along. Zuckerberg gives me a couple thousand bucks I'll start a stupid profile.

(dammit. We just de-railed another thread! My bad.)
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Kelcema Audio
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DavidTurner

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #6 on: May 02, 2016, 10:11:43 AM »

I knew some of my gear would become obsolete, but now it is MOST of it.
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Scott Helmke

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #7 on: May 02, 2016, 10:47:09 AM »

Oddly enough I'm not so sure this is total doom for our industry.

We haven't seen how much companies are willing to pay for this spectrum yet. We've only seen that broadcasters are maybe more willing to vacate than we might have guessed.
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Milt Hathaway

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #8 on: May 02, 2016, 01:04:51 PM »

Somehow I missed that the 600mHz auction would go below 598-ish.

Yay, now my whole 8-channel IEM rig is trash too.
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Andrew Outlaw

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Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2016, 07:25:37 AM »

Oddly enough I'm not so sure this is total doom for our industry.

We haven't seen how much companies are willing to pay for this spectrum yet. We've only seen that broadcasters are maybe more willing to vacate than we might have guessed.

I would like to be optimistic, but I can't find a reason why wireless phone companies wouldn't pay whatever it takes to gobble up all the spectrum they can. I feel like if they were offered the whole UHF TV band they would buy it. I mean this is the primary way they make money, and they want as much spectrum as possible because that means more tx/rx frequencies, which means fewer devices on each frequency, which translates to higher throughput and faster speeds right per device, right?

But lets hope they don't hit that target.

On a related note, is it possible for them to exceed that target still, up to the worst case scenario in that chart (everything gone above TV 26) or even beyond that?
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ProSoundWeb Community

Re: FCC 600MHz Auction Update
« Reply #9 on: May 03, 2016, 07:25:37 AM »


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