On June 9, the FCC issued a Declaratory Ruling and Notice of Proposed
Rulemaking designed to foster the growth of next-generation data services enabled by the transition of digital television (DTV) to the ATSC 3.0 standard.
Now, it has formally established a comment and reply comment period for its Broadcast Internet NPRM, something that will most certainly give TV stations a potentially big revenue boost in the coming years.
The Declaratory Ruling and NPRM seek comment on whether and, if so, how to clarify or modify existing broadcast rules in order to expand the potential for broadcast spectrum capacity to support new services beyond traditional over-the-air video in ways that will complement the nation’s burgeoning 5G network—services referred to as Broadcast Internet services—as part of the transition to ATSC 3.0.
The NPRM set deadlines for filing comments and reply comments at 30 and 45 days, respectively, after publication of the NPRM in the Federal Register.
The NPRM was published in the U.S. government’s official journal of record on Thursday (7/16).
Accordingly, comments must be submitted no later than August 17.
Reply Comments must be submitted no later than August 31.
