[opendtv] Re: Mexico/Canada DTV frequency allotments
- From: Blaine Russell <russellbc@xxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 18:12:43 -0700
The Canadian radio spectrum is managed by Industry Canada http://www.ic.gc.ca
In Canada the equivalent of the role of the FCC is split between Idustriy
Canada (technical specifications / spectrum managment) and the Canadian
Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (licencing authority)
I would contact Industry Canada for up to date informaiton.
On the Idustry Canada website, there appears to be a collection of advisory
letters to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission
(CRTC). http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/sf07035e.html
In this collection of advisory letters to the CRTC the following link seems
pertinent: http://www.ic.gc.ca/epic/site/smt-gst.nsf/en/sf08702e.html (the
contents are pasted below)
[I would recomend contacting Idustry Canada directly for thier latest info]
Industry Canada Advisory Letter - The Use of Unplanned Over-the-Air (OTA)
Broadcasting Television Spectrum and the Manufacturing and Importation for the
Sale of Digital Capable Television Receiving Apparatus
September 26, 2006
Mrs. Diane RhéaumeSecretary GeneralCanadian Radio-televisionand
Telecommunications CommissionOttawa, OntarioK1A 0N2
Dear Mrs. Rhéaume:
Subject: Industry Canada Advisory Letter - The Use of Unplanned Over-the-Air
(OTA) Broadcasting Television Spectrum and the Manufacturing and Importation
for the Sale of Digital Capable Television Receiving Apparatus
I would like to commend the Commission for proceeding to review certain aspects
of the regulatory framework for OTA television as announced in Notice of Public
Hearing CRTC-2006-5. Industry Canada remains committed to support the digital
television (DTV) licensing process in its activities in considering engineering
briefs and broadcasting certification. This advisory letter is submitted on the
public record in response to the above-mentioned Notice.
The North American market for digital television is moving rapidly, with both
Canada and the United States (US) offering television viewers digital
programming via cable and satellite. In addition, the US is moving with equal
speed to implement OTA digital television services. This is being driven to
some extent by competition from cable and satellite delivery platforms. It is
also mandated by the direction of the US Congress to maximize the public
benefit that will accrue from freeing up the valuable spectrum resource in a
post-DTV transition, for new advanced wireless radiocommunication services.
Industry Canada has been planning to use both pre and post DTV transition
television spectrum resources for sometime now. This has been done in a careful
stepped manner to accommodate the needs of broadcasters during the digital
transition. In June 2006, the release of the department's Radio System Policy
RP-06 (Footnote 1) culminated years of work to free-up the first pair of
television channels (63 and 68) for critical public safety applications. In
addition, this spectrum policy refined the criteria for the limited use of
television channels 2 to 59 in support of advanced communications in rural and
remote areas.
In an effort to further encourage the implementation of DTV in Canada and move
towards the freeing-up valuable spectrum resources for new advanced wireless
services, permit me to advise the Commission and broadcasting applicants of the
following criteria that Industry Canada will apply when receiving applications
for the use of television channels 2-69.
Criteria for the Review of Applications for Television Stations on Channels
2-69
Effective January 2007, the department will apply the following
channel-specific criteria when receiving applications for broadcasting
certificates:
Channels 52-69
No broadcasting certificates will be granted for
new analogue television stations;
applications predicated on changes to the technical parameters of existing
analogue television stations which would result in increased spectrum
utilization; and
new digital television stations, except for a digital channel allotment that is
already associated with an existing analogue station. Such a certification
would only be valid until the transition to digital television (DTV) has been
completed.
Channels 2-51
No broadcasting certificates will be granted for
new analogue television stations, except for those ones already predicated in
the digital television transition allotment plan on paired allotments with both
the analogue and digital channels in the 2-51 channel range; and
the provision of analogue broadcasting on a digital channel allotment.
Advanced Wireless Services in Television Channels 2-59
In regard to Industry Canada's recent radio system policy RP-06 on the use of
television channels 2-59 to provide advanced wireless services to remote rural
areas of Canada, the department would like to further advise the Commission and
broadcasting applicants that, with a view to ensuring that new remote rural
applications do not constrain broadcasting services, the Department will only
consider authorizing fixed radiocommunication applications, such as fixed
wireless access.
The department had previously stated that "The Allotment Plan envisaged that
the core spectrum for DTV broadcasting would eventually reside in channels
2-59. Some allotments were assigned in channels 60-69 during the transition
period to accommodate simulcasting." (Footnote 2). However, in consultation
with the industry, the department is now developing a post-transition DTV
allotment plan that will eventually accommodate DTV broadcasting in channels
2-51. In a post DTV transition environment, broadcasters will be no longer be
permitted to use their extra channel that they may have been using during the
transition period from analogue to digital television services.
Shut Down Date for Analogue Television
Given the potential for alternative use of spectrum to be freed-up by the
transition to DTV, Industry Canada is of the view, from the perspective of
efficient and effective management of the radio spectrum, that serious
consideration should be given to specifying a date for the shut down of OTA
analogue television. Such a date could be closely aligned within a North
American market with a view to ensuring that Canadians will be able to receive
Canadian OTA DTV within a North American market time frame. This could also
contribute to Canadian broadcasters maintaining their viewership, particularly
in markets along the Canada/US border where American television stations are
rapidly moving to DTV.
DTV Technical Requirements Related to the Manufacturing and Importation for the
Sale of Digital Capable Television Receiving Apparatus
Industry Canada will amend its technical rules to require that, as of a certain
date, all new television sets and other consumer apparatus capable of receiving
OTA television signals, include built-in ATSC (Footnote 3)> tuners. The
effective date for bringing into force of such a requirement will be determined
in connection with the establishment of a date for the shut down of OTA
analogue TV.
I trust that this information will further clarify the situation as we proceed
toward the next stages of planning these spectrum resources for new advanced
wireless services.
Sincerely yours,
Michael BinderAssistant Deputy MinisterSpectrum, Information Technologiesand
Telecommunications
c.c. Michel Arpin Vice-Chair, Broadcasting , CRTCLen Katz, Executive Director,
Broadcasting and Telecommunications CRTCJean-Pierre Blais, Assistant Deputy
Minister, Department of Canadian HeritageGlenn O'Farrell, President and & CEO,
Canadian Association of BroadcastersPaul Frew, President, Radio Advisory Board
of Canada
From: adam@xxxxxxxxxxxx: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx: [opendtv] Mexico/Canada
DTV frequency allotmentsDate: Thu, 9 Oct 2008 17:38:39 -0700Hi,
I'm planning the changes needed in our DVR software for 2/17/2009, and it's
reasonably easy to get at the changes that are happening in the US. My question
is: where can I find the frequency allotments for ATSC for Canada & Mexico?
Will these countries, too, stop any broadcasts above channel 51?
Thanks,
Adam
Adam Steinberg
Director, Product Line Management
Elgato Systems
900 Kearny Street, Suite 750
San Francisco, CA 94133
USA
+1 415 391 0310 x235 office
+1 415 702 7065 cell
adam@xxxxxxxxxx
_________________________________________________________________
Other related posts:
