Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Canadian 700 MHz Actions - All Good

From: [email-masked]
Date: Mon, 21 Jul 2003 17:41:47 -0400

-------- Original Message --------
From: ohara <[email-masked]>
Subject: Canadian 700 MHz Actions - All Good

http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/sf07035e.html

SAB-002-03 - Advisory Letters to the Canadian Radio-television and 
Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) on Broadcasting and Public Safety 
Spectrum

1. Public Notice CRTC 2000-127 - Call for Comments on a Licensing Framework 
for Low-power Community Television Undertakings in Urban Areas, and in Other 
Markets Not Covered by Existing Policy (October 30, 2000)

2. Implementing Digital Television Broadcasting (DTV) Within the DTV 
Transition Allotment Plan (July 10, 2002)

3. An Update of the Studies to Identify Spectrum for Public Safety in 
Television Channels 60-69 ( March 10, 2003)

Ms. Andrée WylieVice-Chairperson, 
BroadcastingCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 
(CRTC)Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0N2

Dear Ms. Wylie:

Subject: Public Notice CRTC 2000-127 - Call for Comments on a Licensing 
Framework for Low-Power Community Television Undertakings in Urban Areas, and 
in Other Markets Not Covered by Existing Policy

This is to advise the CRTC that in response to Public Notice CRTC 2000-127, 
the Department of Industry wishes to submit, for the public record in this 
proceeding, the following information with regard to spectrum availability:

1. In April of 1997, the Department of Industry released the DTV (Digital 
Television) Transition Allotment Plan, Issue 2. The Plan fulfilled the 
Department’s commitment to the technical recommendations of the DTV Task 
Force. This commitment was to provide every analogue television broadcaster 
with an equivalent digital channel to enable simulcasting during the 
transition to DTV until such time as analogue broadcasting ceases.

2. During the preparation of the DTV Transition Allotment Plan, the Department 
endeavoured to ensure that the majority of these new DTV allotments for 
standard power stations were accommodated below TV channel 60. However, 
because of Canada/US sharing requirements and other technical constraints that 
needed to be considered in the Plan, not all of the new DTV allotments could 
be implemented below channel 60. Consequently, over 70 standard DTV channel 
allotments were designated above channel 60, many of which are in Canada’s 
major urban centres. For example, in Toronto some 5 out of 8 DTV allotments 
are above channel 60. While these DTV allotments above TV channel 60 are 
temporary and will move down below channel 60 after the transition period to 
DTV, it is clear that spectrum above channel 60 is already significantly 
encumbered in major urban centres.

3. The Department of Industry intends to undertake shortly a public 
consultation to determine the appropriate spectrum policies and timing to 
re-allocate the spectrum in the frequency range 746-806 MHz (television 
channels 60-69), for public safety and other commercial wireless services 
including broadcasting. As such, the licensing of low-power community 
television above channel 59, would further encumber this spectrum and 
compromise the development of the Department’s plans for the medium and long 
term use of the spectrum in channels 60-69.

4. Hence, the Department wishes to inform the Commission that unless there are 
extraordinary circumstances, it will not issue broadcasting certificates for 
low power TV stations in channels 60-69. Moreover, broadcasting certificates 
issued below channel 60 will carry a condition of notifying the licensees of a 
possible requirement to move to other channels in the future if the DTV 
transition so requires.

I trust that these points clarify the Department’s position on this matter.

Yours sincerely,Michael Binder

Assistant Deputy Minister,Spectrum, Information Technologies and 
Telecommunications

c.c. Françoise Bertrand, Chairperson, CRTCUrsula Menke, Secretary General, 
CRTC
Michael Wernick, Assistant Deputy Minister, Cultural Development -Department 
of Canadian Heritage

Ms. Andrée Wylie
Vice-Chairperson, BroadcastingCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications 
Commission (CRTC)
Ottawa, OntarioK1A 0N2

Dear Ms. Wylie:

Subject: Implementing Digital Television Broadcasting (DTV) within the DTV 
Transition Allotment Plan

I would like to commend the Commission for establishing a licensing policy 
framework that will guide the transition of over-the-air television to the new 
digital era. The Department is committed to support the DTV licensing process 
in its activities in considering engineering briefs and broadcasting 
certification.

Permit me to clarify for the Commission and broadcasting applicants, Industry 
Canada’s approach to implementing the DTV Transition Allotment Plan during 
digital conversion and our planning activities to accommodate, in the longer 
term, other services in television channels 60-69.

Broadcasting Decision CRTC 2002-82 has brought to our attention the continued 
interest by broadcasters to seek certification for new analogue television 
stations in channels 60-69. In order for the Department to accommodate the 
needs of DTV broadcasters and the technical studies for future plans for this 
spectrum, it is important that it not be further encumbered with additional 
new analogue assignments. It is for this reason that the DTV transition plan 
did not include any analogue and spare DTV allotments above channel 59. 
Consequently, the Department wishes to inform the Commission that it will not 
issue broadcast certificates for new analogue broadcasting facilities above 
channel 59. This is compatible with the objectives of the DTV Transition 
Allotment Plan and a reasonable way of moving forward.

The Department has completed the first phase of public consultation on the 
proposed co-allocation of the broadcasting and mobile radio services in 
frequency band 746-806 MHz. An important aspect of this public consultation is 
the identification of some spectrum, within channels 60-69, for public safety 
services. To this end, studies are currently concentrating on spectrum in 
channels 63 and 64, paired with channels 68 and 69. Accordingly, the 
Department wishes to inform the Commission that it will not issue broadcasting 
certificates for these 4 channels, pending the conclusion of these studies. I 
will communicate to you our decision on this matter this fall.

I trust that this information will further clarify the situation as we proceed 
toward the next stage of planning and public consultation on spectrum 
resources.

Sincerely yours,

Michael Binder Assistant Deputy Minister
Spectrum, Information Technologiesand Telecommunications

c.c. Jean-Pierre Blais, Executive Director, Broadcasting, CRTCMichael Wernick, 
Associate Deputy Minister, Department of Canadian HeritageGlenn O'Farrell, 
President and & CEO, Canadian Association of BroadcastersDavid Farnes, 
President, Radio Advisory Board of Canada

Ms. Andrée WylieVice-Chairperson,
BroadcastingCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission 
(CRTC)Ottawa
Ontario K1A 0N2

Dear Ms. Wylie:

Subject: An Update of the Studies to Identify Spectrum for Public Safety in 
Television Channels 60-69

Further to our correspondence of July 10 and 29, 2002 (see attached), I wish 
to apprise the Commission of our activities and findings in identifying 
potential spectrum for public safety in the television channel pairs 63/68 or 
64/69. The Department had asked that new digital television (DTV) allotments 
not be assigned in these channels to provide sufficient time for a 
re-assessment of the DTV Transition Allotment Plan with public safety 
requirements in mind. We appreciated the cooperation of the Commission and the 
broadcasting industry in carrying out this assessment.

We were able to determine early last summer that it was not practical to 
re-arrange the DTV Transition Allotment Plan in channel pairs 64/69. Industry 
stakeholders and the Commission’s staff were accordingly informed that we 
would consider broadcasting certificates for this channel pair, if DTV 
applications were made to the Commission. However, with only a few DTV 
allotments in television channel pair 63/68, a re-arrangement of the DTV 
Transitional Allotment Plan was deemed feasible.

The Department has focussed its study on identifying new DTV channels to 
accommodate allotments that were assigned to channels 63 and 68. We were able 
to re-arrange the DTV Transitional Allotment Plan, in consultation with the US 
Federal Communications Commission, to accommodate all DTV assignment 
requirements and have informed the affected parties. Also, the Department has 
completed successfully the coordination of this re-arrangement with the US 
counterparts and this will be reflected in the current Canada/US Letter of 
Understanding. These activities have resulted in television channels pair 
63/68 being cleared for future public safety spectrum. The Department is 
imposing a moratorium on the use of channels 63 and 68 for any future 
television stations.

A number of additional studies are being carried-out by the Department to 
assess potential interference of public safety systems into adjacent 
television channels. Once completed, the Department will release a paper to 
outline our decision on the revised frequency allocations and further consult 
on accommodating public safety in channels 63 and 68.

Thank you for your cooperation in this matter.

Sincerely yours,

Michael Binder

Assistant Deputy MinisterSpectrum, Information Technologiesand 
Telecommunications

c.c. Executive Director, Broadcasting, CRTCMichael Wernick, Associate Deputy 
Minister, Department of Canadian HeritageGlenn O'Farrell, President and & CEO, 
Canadian Association of BroadcastersDavid Farnes, President, Radio Advisory 
Board of CanadaAssociation of BroadcastersDavid Farnes, President, Radio 
Advisory Board of Canada

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