[opendtv] Re: Opinion: Putting A Price Tag On TV Spectrum
- From: Craig Birkmaier <craig@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Sat, 28 Nov 2009 09:17:13 -0500
At 6:12 PM -0600 11/27/09, Manfredi, Albert E wrote:
We've seen most of those points made already. I'll pick a few apart.
"That's the 294 MHz of rich, fertile bandwidth that iPhone users
(and the network engineers they bug most) dream about morning, noon
and night."
Is this true, or is this the same old technically-challenged
rhetoric like the rhetoric of "effecting climate change"? The
spectrum used by TV, especialy now that the 700 and 800 MHz bands
have been given up, is hardly ideal for mobile two-way devices. The
wavelength is too long. It would be more ideal for fixed broadband
RF service. Too bad he went for the more trendy iPhone hype to make
this point.
Wrong.
Clearly as we move to lower frequencies, antenna length becomes an
issue. But the propagation characteristics are better at these
frequencies than in the higher bands that are currently used for
mobile wireless. The biggest benefit is that the UHF bands currently
occupied by broadcasters penetrate buildings much better than higher
frequency bands.
This is an issue for broadcasters too! They want to get MHP radios in
mobile devices too, and thus the same antenna issues are raised,
whoever uses the current broadcast spectrum.
Might as well get used to it Bert. IF broadcasting survives it will
by necessity become a wireless service again optimized for
mobile/handheld devices (fixed devices are welcome too). Fixed
broadband is a potential market as well, that is less sensitive to
antenna issues, but there is less demand for this service.
What? What do "broadcasters" have to do with ESPN, CNBC, or FX, or
"you've still got good shows"? I thought those were CONGLOMS, not
broadcasters. Sure, congloms can piggyback their stuff over other
folks' cable, satellite, 3G, or other type of networks. Who is he
talking to? The congloms that have already sold off their OTA assets
(preaching to the choir), or the broadcasters whose survival is the
OTA delivery pipe?
UHHHH BERT. I think the point is that the congloms ARE doing it over
again and Free OTA broadcasting is not part of their future plans.
As for who he is talking to Bert, clearly it is almost everyone but
you. The viewing public has moved on, leaving only a handful of
laggards behind.
"But no one is watching your off-air-only channels."
Maybe he isn't. Didn't we see a news item that claimed that OTA
viewership had increased since analog shutoff? The dust has hardly
settled on DTT, so it's time for a recount.
A blip.
"The carriers are starved for airspace, and you're way long in the stuff."
Not true, from recent articles we've read. It's all a tradeoff.
Carriers can also make better use of their spectrum by creating
smaller cells, which they have to do anyway to accommodate two-way
devices at higher spectral efficency. More spectrum is only a
partial solution. Use a search engine and look up "femtocells."
Spectrum propagation characteristics are a major consideration as
well. This is why the carriers are so hungry for the spectrum that
broadcasters are using so inefficiently.
"At the same time, it should provide a mechanism to supply the 10
million households not having a cable or satellite subscription with
free broadcast video service for five or 10 years."
Ah yes. Lull people into complacency with a new entitlement program,
so they too can become dependent on another monthly subscription fee.
Just one of many ideas.
In reality, TV broadcasting will survive after being forced to live
in a smaller spectrum footprint that they will need to use MUCH MORE
EFFICIENTLY. There will still be a free OTA lifeline service for
folks like you, but more important, if it is done right it will serve
"the rest of us" as well via mobile devices.
Regards
Craig
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