Today is the day cellular carriers can turn off their legacy analog networks. The FCC isn’t requiring carriers to shut down their analog signal today; this week simply marks the first time they’ll be allowed to do so.
AT&T Mobility and Verizon Wireless will be shutting down their analog networks this week, while Alltel is taking a phased approach to the shutdown that will be complete by the end of September.
Carriers aren’t wasting any time, notes RCR News, since analog in the 800 MHz band is less efficient than digital.
AMPS (Advanced Mobile Phone System) was the first cellular system, deployed in 1983. Each AMPS channel is 30 kHz wide. AMPS evolved into Digital AMPS then GSM or CDMA which uses digital compression to pack 10-20 times more voice channels in the same space.
The FCC granted each carrier within a market 333 channels (666 channels total). By the late 1980s, the cellular industry’s subscriber base had grown into the millions across America and it became necessary to add channels for additional capacity. In 1989, the FCC granted carriers an expansion from the current 666 channels to the now 832 (416 per carrier). The additional frequency was available in the upper 800 MHz band which also was home to UHF channels 70–83.
Each cell site uses a subset of these channels, and must use a different set than neighboring cells to avoid interference.
OnStar relies heavily on North American AMPS service for its subscribers because, when the system was developed, AMPS offered the most comprehensive wireless coverage in the US. The Security Industry Association (SIA) is advising consumers and businesses to check with their security system providers to ensure continuation of service.
DailyWireless has more on the Analog Cellular Shut Down.
Today, February 18, also marks the one-year countdown of analog television in the US. The government’s DTV website has the $40 coupons (you can get two), that can be used to purchase a converter box. The government was scheduled to start mailing out coupons on February 17, 2008.
If you have a cable or satellite box plugged into an analog TV, or if you only use the set to watch DVDs or play video games, you don’t need to do anything.
According to Nielsen about 13 million US households aren’t ready for the digital transition. Nielsen also says that about another 6 million homes have a 2nd TV that won’t work after the transition.
In a few short days, people will unbox their converter boxes — and get nothing. That’s because rabbit ears probably won’t cut it. DTV has either a perfect picture or nothing at all. Because ATSC has poor rejection of multi-path, they’ll most likely get nothing.
Centris, a market research company, estimates that there are 40 million U.S. households watching off-air broadcasts on some 117 million television sets and says that with the switch to digital, signal shortfall will become a major problem.
At a hearing on DTV before the House Telecommunications Subcommittee on Feb. 13, 2008, Chairman Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) asked how many viewers who get new converter boxes for their old TVs will draw a blank on DTV. Five percent, said FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin.
8VSB is the 8-level vestigial sideband modulation method adopted for terrestrial broadcast of the ATSC digital television standard in the United States, Canada, and other countries.
Problems? Tell the NAB’s Dennis Wharton and the gang of four who share ATSC royalties.
