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FCC
Seeks Comment on STELA DTV Signal Strength Prediction and Measurement
Procedures
On July 28, 2010 the FCC released a Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking and Further Notice of Proposed Rulemaking which seeks
comment on a prediction model and on-site measurement procedure
for determining the strength of a DTV signal at any specific location.
These would be used to determine whether a household could be
considered "unserved" by a local network affiliated
DTV station and thus would be eligible to receive a distant DTV
network affiliated signal retransmitted by DTH satellite carriers
(e.g DirecTV or Dish Network).
The Commission
is taking this action as a consequence of the Satellite Television
Extension and Localism Act of 2010 (STELA) which was enacted by
Congress in February, 2010. The STELA requires the FCC, within
270 days enactment, to: 1) "…develop and prescribe by
rule a point-to-point predictive model for reliably and presumptively
determining the ability of individual locations, through the use
of an antenna, to receive signals in accordance with the signal
intensity standard in Section 73.622(e)(1) of the rules…"
and 2) Issue an order completing its rulemaking to establish a
procedure for on-site measurement of digital television signals
in ET Docket No. 06-94 (See TV
TechCheck
from May 15, 2006).
In the Notice
of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) portion of this action the FCC proposes
to prescribe a point-to-point predictive model (referred to as
ILLR - Individual Location Longley-Rice) for determining the ability
of individual locations to receive an over-the-air digital television
broadcast signal at the intensity level needed for service through
the use of an antenna, as required by the STELA. The NPRM states
that the Commission believes the proposed predictive model, which
is based on the current model for predicting the intensity of
analog television signals at individual locations, will allow
consumers, TV stations and satellite carriers to determine eligibility
to receive distant DVT signals in a timely and cost effective
manner.
The previous
incarnation the STELA, called SHVIA, mandated an ILLR computer
model that predicted an NTSC station's signal strength assuming
the use of a conventional, stationary, outdoor rooftop receiving
antenna. Language in the STELA changed the words "conventional,
stationary outdoor rooftop antenna" to just "antenna",
thus, the NPRM seek comment on whether the FCC should consider
the impact of the location and performance of actual antennas
consumers use to receive DTV signals.
However, because
the STELA specifically mandates the use of the digital television
signal strength standard in Section 73.622(e)(1) of the Rules
and those rules are based on the use of an outdoor antenna, the
FCC has tentatively concluded that the current standard for an
outdoor antenna as specified in the DTV planning factors in OET
Bulletin No. 69 should be used in predicting digital television
signal strengths using the ILLR model. Therefore the FCC proposes
to modify the existing ILLR to use the DTV noise-limited service
contour values in Section 73.622(e)(1) as the standard for determining
whether a predicted field strength is sufficient for reception
of a signal at an individual location. The NPRM states:
The NPRM also
seeks comment on a number of other issues regarding certain parameters
of the ILLR model such as:
- Time and Location Variability Factors;
- Land Use and Land Cover Factors, and
- Applicability to Analog Low Power TV and TV Translator
Stations.
In the Further
Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (FNPRM), the FCC seeks information
to update the record in ET Docket No. 06-94 (SHVERA NPRM), which
was intended to prescribe rules for determining eligibility of
satellite subscribers for receiving distant network signals from
their satellite TV provider using on-location testing/measurements.
The Commission previously sought comment on a variety of issues
related to establishing a procedure for on-location DTV measurements,
but never adopted final rules specifying a procedure. The STELA
raises three issues regarding the DTV measurement procedure not
addressed in the SHVERA NPRM:
- the
stations whose signals are to be measured;
- the antenna to use in performing on-location testing; and
- the program stream from a station in the market to be measured.
The FCC proposes
to retain the same general procedure used for analog stations.
However, it wishes to address these issues by to both refreshing
the record and obtaining additional information and comment on
STELA requirements that differ from the original SHVERA requirements.
Comments in
this proceeding are due on August 24, 2010, and reply comments
must be filed on or before September 3, 2010. A copy of
the item is available on the FCC's web page at
http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/FCC-10-133A1.pdf.
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