The Society of Broadcast Engineers (SBE) has filed a petition with the FCC objecting to an effort by Clarity Broadcasting Systems to obtain waivers to commission rules that would clear the way for new Community Antenna Relay Systems (CARS) that would use 85MHz — or nearly 99 percent —of the bandwidth assigned to 2GHz TV broadcast auxiliary service usage.
Clarity is seeking the waivers so it can launch Trucker TV, a service that would use omni directional base stations operating at 2025MHz to 2110MHz in 6MHz-wide digitally modulated channels to deliver 70 television channels to over-the-road truckers. Sixty-five of the channels would carry retransmitted DBS programming and five would be carry original information of interest to truckers. The SBE objection, filed Nov. 22, argues that Clarity’s CARS applications “really constitute a petition for rulemaking for a new Trucker TV wireless cable radio service.”
In its informal objection, the society took issue with a Clarity assertion that DBS transmission and reception to trucks was impractical. The SBE noted that several DBS systems for trucks and recreational vehicles currently exist. The society labeled Clarity’s assertion that truckers don’t have “regular and dependable access to television programming service” as inaccurate.
In its filing, the society reminded the commission that 2495MHz to 2690MHz is set aside for wireless applications similar to the one proposed by Clarity.
The society filing pointed out inaccuracies in geographic coordinates for truck stops referenced by Clarity in Frazier Park, CA, North Salt Lake City, UT, and Ogden, UT. The SBE also called the Frazier Park CARS application “fatally flawed” because it did not consider the locations of TV BAS ENG receive only sites.
The society also found fault with Clarity’s filing because it did not take into consideration interference the proposed CARS service could cause to ENG relay or repeater trucks.
The 32-page SBE filing concludes that Clarity’s CARS applications are “fundamentally flawed and inappropriate, and must be returned forthwith.”
To read the filing, visit www.sbe.org/documents/ObjectiontoTruckerTVWirelessCableService.pdf.
