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wdoa
join:2001-10-16
Spencer, MA

1 recommendation

wdoa

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Step towards the end of broadcast TV

Sounds like a first step towards the phase out of Over The Air (free) Broadcast Television. I think that there may be a situation where the TV stations that accept the money may not use it to relocate to another frequency which is what is supposed to happen, but rather the stations (especially those in large markets, owned by large corporations (i.e. Comcast/NBC) will see this as a win/win. They get a big sack O cash to get out of the broadcast business and instead limit content to CableTV feeds.

n2jtx
join:2001-01-13
Glen Head, NY

n2jtx

Member

If that's the case I will resort to Internet streaming and that is it. I already have broadcast basic that I am not really using and will probably cancel when Cablevision raises the Internet fee next January. That will reduce my bill below what I am paying now (gives me pleasure to give them even less after they raise prices).

Of course broadcasters that give up their OTA signal will have their advertising numbers adjusted accordingly which may hurt revenue in the short term.
Crookshanks
join:2008-02-04
Binghamton, NY

Crookshanks to wdoa

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to wdoa
This is what worries me too. I'm not even sure what the need is. With the exception of T-Mo, all the carriers have low frequency holdings that are suitable for rural deployments. T-Mo could use one, if they're interested, which is a big "if", but no more than a 10mhz slice.

The other boys will be refarming their cellular licenses to LTE in the coming years, so what's their need?

The last point, a nationwide "emergency" network, is something I'm skeptical of. It seems like something that is destined to become a boondoggle with tax dollars. Why do first responders need their OWN LTE network? Couldn't they be given priority access to the existing networks for next to nothing, rather than spending billions to deploy an entirely new network?