South Carolina ETV

EBS Facts to Consider

  • FCC relegates to ETV 67 EBS (Educational Broadband Services) and BRS (Broadband Radio Services) licenses (11 A's, 12 B's, 12 C's, 9 D's, 6 E's, 5 F's, 12 G's).
  • The FCC affirms that only educational institutions can hold EBS spectrum licenses.
  • The FCC intends for this spectrum to be used to deliver wireless broadband internet to the rural communities.
  • The FCC does not want to circumvent existing educational TV programming to schools.
  • With our 67 licenses strategically placed across the state, our EBS footprints cover the entire state (View Graphic).
  • Each license has 4 channels within the 2.495-2.690 MHz spectrum band (View Graphic)
    • 3 of the 4 channels are contiguous within the lower and higher spectrum allocations, and are delegated for low-power cellular broadband
    • These 3 channels are 5.5MHz each, totaling 16.5 MHz per license.
    • A 4th channel was delegated as a high-power allotment with the intention for present day analog broadcast to be transitioned to digital downstream
    • The 4th or mid-band channel is 6MHz
    • This mid-band channel can also be configured for a 2-way broadband delivery similar to low-power delivery or for point-to-point back haul
  • Each license serves a 35 mile geographic service area.
  • FCC encourages scalability by allowing license holders to construct cells as need within any service area to support subscribers.
  • FCC allows license holders to lease up to 95% of spectrum and for up to 30 years
  • The report and order stipulates that all licenses be transitioned by Basic Trading Areas (View Graphic)
    • S.C. has 12 BTA's
    • 5 BTA's crossover to Georgia and N.C., including Savannah and Charlotte
  • The first installment plan issued to the FCC from within a BTA becomes the designated proponent.
  • WiMAX is a standards-based technology that will use EBS spectrum to enable the delivery of last mile wireless broadband access
  • A typical WiMAX cell radius has a deployment of 1.5 to 6 miles according to population and terrain.
  • There are 2 WiMAX certifications, fixed or portable IEEE 802.16d or 2004, and mobile IEEE 802.16e.
  • Today, viable fixed systems are being installed, mobile is being tested in the U.S., and throughout the world.
  • All future WiMAX certified equipment are intended to be interoperable, including laptops, PDA, and phones.
  • The new FCC EBS ruling was issued January 2005, but wasn't finalized until April 2006.
  • FCC set an imminent deadline of January 2009 for proponents to submit a plan to transition and no longer use an analog delivery. 
  • After a plan is submitted to FCC, the proponent or ETV will have a maximum of 21 months to implement the plan.
  • Failure to utilize EBS in the new spectrum by the May 1 of 2011 could result in the FCC terminating ETV's EBS spectrum licenses.