Broadcast lobby tells government to stay away from airborne TV pick-up spectrum

The Canadian Association of Broadcasters (CAB) wants Industry Canada to leave the current allocation for TV pick-up alone and not make additional allocations within the same band. The CAB was commenting on the department’s proposed changes to spectrum in the 3 GHz to 30 GHz frequency range (RoW Update, Jan. 28/02). In DGTP 001-02, Industry Canada is proposing to add an allocation for airborne TV pick-up applications in the 6-8 GHz range, which is currently used for TV pick-up. But the CAB, which represents private broadcasters, says that’s a bad move. "Introducing airborne operations into the current TV pick-up band 6930-7125 MHz would be impossible for congested markets such as Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver and other major cities," the CAB writes in its April 30 comments. For example in Toronto at present, this band is fully occupied, with all television broadcasters having primary and secondary channel assignments for their mobile terrestrial ENG operations." The CAB notes that available TV pick-up channels in this band are already in short supply and the situation will likely get worse following the recent licensing of two new analog TV services in Toronto. Besides the congestion issue, the CAB indicates that operating airborne TV pick-up applications in bands above the current allocation in the 2-2.5 GHz frequency range would create significant difficulties. "The current range for a helicopter using today’s 2 GHz equipment would be drastically reduced at 6-8 GHz due to higher propagation losses," the CAB writes. It suggests that larger transmit antennas, higher power transmitters and a larger receive antenna system would help solve the problem. "But even with these improvements, one cannot match the range association with a 2 GHz operation," the association concludes. The CAB admits that there is equipment available for these upper bands, but says these systems aren’t ideal. "However, the effective half-power beam-width for both the transmit and receive antennas at higher frequencies would be significantly reduced as compared to 2 GHz, thereby increasing the complexity and difficulty for tracking," the CAB states.

Broadcast lobby tells government to stay away from airborne TV pick-up spectrum

News | 05/13/2002 4:00 am EDT

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