South Coast Announce Digital Packages

Rippy

At the Clarion Hotel in Cork on Friday night South Coast celebrated their 21st birthday. 21 years since men first struggled up mountains with tractor batteries to give Cork folk TV form the UK.
Now after many years of promises and speculation they are finally ready to deliver a digital product. I beleive transmission is in the 5 ghz band receivable on a small (30-40 cm) dish equipped with an ordinary universal lnb.
There will be no switching needed between high and low bands or polarity.
Therfore it should be possible to split the signal from a single lnb to different points utilizing existing aerial cabling.
Packages are very competitive with offerings from Sky or Chorus.

STARTER PACK (23 channels) €22 PER MONTH
RTE1, RTE2, TV3, TG4, BBC1, BBC2, BBC3, BBC4, CBBC, CBEEBIES, BBC NEWS 24, HTV, CH4, SETANTA SPORTS IRELAND,RACING UK, CHELSEA TV (why??),
EUROSPORT 1, EUROSPORT 2, MTV1, FX1, NICK JUNIOR, MOVIES 24,
SCTV LOCAL CHANNEL.

ENTERTAINMENT PACK (45 channels) €26.00 PER MONTH
ALL OF THE ABOVE PLUS-
TROUBLE, PLAYER, BRAVO, UK LIVING, UKTV GOLD, UKTV HISTORY, UKTV BRIGHT IDEAS, E4, MORE4, MTV2, VH1, CNN, TCM, TCM2, CARTOON NETWORK, CARTOON NETWORK 2, BOOMERANG, NICKLEODEON, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC, ADVENTURE 1, PARAMOUNT COMEDY, HALLMARK.

TOP -UP PREMIUM PACKS €12.00 per month
SENTANTA SPORTS PACK includes SETANTA 1, SETANTA 2, NASN, CELTIC TV, RANGERS TV, SETANTA GOLF CHANNEL (2007)

SKY PACKAGES

1. SKY 1 SPORTS PACK: SKY SPORTS 1 & SKY SPORTS 3,
€31.50 per month

2. SKY 2 SPORTS PACK: SKY SPORTS 2 & SKY SPORTS 3
€31.50 PER MONTH

3. SKY SPORTS 1, 2, 3 & SKY SPORTS EXTRA
€40.50 PER MONTH

4. SKY MOVIES 1 TO 5
€31.50 PER MONTH

5.SKY MOVIES 5-10
€31.50 PER MONTH

6. SKY MOVIES 1-10 +SKY CINEMA 1&2
€40.50 PER MONTH

7. SKY MOVIES (ANY 5 CHANNELS ) & ANY 2 SPORTS CHANNELS
€40.50 PER MONTH

8. MULTI ROOM CHARGE FOR SKY PACKAGES- €9.00 PER MONTH


SET TOP BOXES

Standard set top box is supplied subject to 12 months contract and €100 deposit.

Multi-room: €2.00 per month and €150 deposit.

Flexbox (PVR) Record one programme while watching another. €3.00 per month and €200 deposit.


The service launches on the 29th September and will be available at first to Carrigaline , later expanding to other areas served by South Coast. If the demand is there, South Coast have a licence to cover the whole of Munster!


Many on here will sneer at these plans, but remember this is the only Irish owned multichannel broadcaster which hopefully will provide a viable alternative to Murdoch's evil empire or UTC, and will enjoy good local support frlom people remembering their voluntary roots.

Ulsterman 1690

CHELSEA TV (why??)

Either the rights were cheap or someone at SCTV is a fan ?

Rippy

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

Either the rights were cheap or someone at SCTV is a fan ?

I guess Chelsea can well afford to give it away. Maybe they are going the way of Real Madrid TV and looking at FTA and FTV as a way of increasing the fan base?
Who knows, maybe MUTV will do the same, now that would be popular in Cork!

watty

If you are not into paying for "Sport TV" this is VERY expensive compared with Sky. And of course satellite when you cancel you still have all BBC, all ITV , Film 4 etc.

watty

It is in the MIDDLE of the satellite band, not 5GHz.

The 8 licensed frequencies will be: 11739.0 MHz,
11788.0 MHz, 11817.0 MHz, 11856.0 MHz,11895.0 MHz, 11934.0
MHz, 11973.0 MHz, 12012.0 MHz

http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg0642.pdf

Write to Comreg (address and email in the PDF) quickly and complain.

Interested parties have until 5pm on Tuesday the 19th of September, 2006 to make
representations, in writing, on the proposed amendments, Representations made after
this deadline will not be considered. Please address representations in writing to:
Peter Moran,
Market Framework,
Commission for Communications Regulation,
Abbey Court,
Irish Life Centre,
Lower Abbey Street,
Dublin 1.
or by email to:
peter.moran@comreg.ie

Rippy

watty wrote:

If you are not into paying for "Sport TV" this is VERY expensive compared with Sky. And of course satellite when you cancel you still have all BBC, all ITV , Film 4 etc.

Depends on what people want to watch and how they want to watch it.
I think the entertainment pack provides a very good array of popular channels including ch4 and Setanta. For €29 per month they can have a PVR that records all the main UK and Irish channels. Cheapest way of doing that with Sky+ is €21.50 for 2 mix (very basic line up) plus €15 for Sky+ = €36.50, no Ch4 or Setanta, no recording of ITV channels.
Some will go for it, It's another consumer choice, let's give it a chance!
Also the closest thing to DTT down here ! (Ihave heard nothing about even trials from Spur Hill or Mulliganish.)

L1011

How is this not going to seriously interfere with satellite reception?

medja

Seriously if you have decent reception of RTE, TG4 and TV3 and there is little or no reason to go out and get the basic pack ahead of a sky dish and cancelling your sky Sub after 12 months.

I understand that they're making efforts but the only main station that you can't get that's on the starter pack is CH4 and that's likely to go free in 2008.

I know there are copyright issues but sat provides, ITV2,3 and 4 as well as News stations, film 4, Sky three I could go on.


To be fair their entertainment pack isn't too bad.

watty

MYOB wrote:

How is this not going to seriously interfere with satellite reception?

OF COURSE IT WILL VERY SERIOUSLY interfere with Satellite reception.

I'm gobsmacked!

Rippy

watty wrote:

OF COURSE IT WILL VERY SERIOUSLY interfere with Satellite reception.

I'm gobsmacked!

Sorry, I had it in my head it was 5ghz. Seems I was wrong! I will be talking to SCTV engineer tomorrow and see what he has to say!
In fairness though, the test transmissions have been running for most of this year, I live 3.3 miles from main transmitter with direct LOS, and I have had no problems myself with sat reception, on astra 2 or any other sats transponders at these frequencies that I can recall. As a local aerial and satellite rigger I have not had any calls from customers that could be attributed to this either.
Of course different satellites transmit using the same or very close frequencies, how do they not interfere with each other?
Of course IF IT DOES cause interference it should be shut down straight away.
No broadcaster launching a new service can afford the negative publicity this would bring.

Rippy

I would like to add that I am not a shareholder in SCTV nor have I been contracted for installation, so I have no bias in this matter.

Foggy43

Should Comreg have investigated a bit more before allowing the use of these frequencies or do they do field trials at all.

Are there TV companies using these frequencies allready? I think a terrestrial broadcast will block out a satellite channel on the same frequency.

Rippy

This is who is providing the technology. I presume similar frequencies have been used at their other installations.
www.mds.fr

Ulsterman 1690

Surely the licence is granted on a "non interference basis"

I reckon the claims of "serious" interference are somewhat alarmist. There may be one or two isolated instances but in such cases SCTV will be obliged to resolve such issues

watty

It is against the International band plan.
The frequencies may have been picked to minimise Sky interference, but other satellites exist, about 28 easily received in Ireland.

Satellites are on a fixed arc 22,500 miles away at similar powers. When the dish is moved 2 degrees, the signal is so small as to vanish.

A local terrestrial transmitter at these has maybe 1/100th the TX power, but since it is MUCH closer may appear to be 10,000 times more powerfull RX power if LOS.

You need good LOS for these frequencies. These ARE satellite frequencies and will desense or wipe out reception. I will check later which transponders and satellites will be affected.

No-one more than 1km from a base station is very likely to affected and at more than 15km (about the LOS and signal limit typically) most unlikely.

The original MMDS was not smart, this is several magnitudes dummer. Was there NO spectrum that could be found?

Even 10.1 GHz would make more sense. About 130MHz that no-one is using.

Foggy43

Watty!

You have made me curious as to where this main transmitter that testing was carried out is.
Being 3.3 miles from where you live, I suspect Woodcock Hill.

Rippy

SkY DIGITAL FREQUENCIES (from Lyngsat)

11739 mhz- Living TV, Bravo, Trouble.

11817 - UKTV Gold & 8 other UKTV

11856 - Sky Box Office

11895 - MTV, Vh1 , Vh2, Nickleodeon

11934 - Sky Box Office

11973 - Zee TV

I have had no reports of interference on these channels in the Carrigaline area since testing commenced early this year.

Molly, main transmitter is Carrigaline, Co. Cork

L1011

Hrm, I thought they'd be using Astra C Band (note, not C-Band) freqs, as thats all thats left empty on 28E at the moment, to seriously remove risk of Sky interference... clearly not.

lawhec

I remember reading a few years ago of an outfit in the USA called Northpoint who planned a similar scheme. I don't know if it went ahead, probably not for various reasons. Their transmission idea would be that the signals would be beamed from sites directional to the south only. This would mean that those with satellite dishes would then re-point their dishes north to a Northpoint site, away from the southern-facing Clarke Belt. There were tests, and as such no reports of interference.

Viewing the Clarke Belt from Ireland, the maximum viewing angle extends from around 60 degrees west to 55 degrees east. Therefore if an SCTV digital transmitter was beamed to transmit say from due west to due east with the most power going due south and no signal going north, extending 60 degrees west and east of north, then threats of interference should be kept to a minimum.

The Cush

watty wrote:

It is in the MIDDLE of the satellite band, not 5GHz.

http://www.comreg.ie/_fileupload/publications/ComReg0642.pdf

Write to Comreg (address and email in the PDF) quickly and complain.

It may be too late to complain to Comreg relating to the use of this band for MMDS services, the original consultation took place in 2001.
odtr0169 Licencing Regional or Locally based Digital television Delivery - Consultation Paper
odtr0197 Licensing Regional or Locally Based Digital Television Delivery- Response to Consultation
Press Release 21.12.2001
(ERC/DEC(00)08 - ERC Decision of 19 October 2000 on the use of the band 10.7 - 12.5 GHz by the fixed service and Earth stations of the broadcasting-satellite and fixed-satellite Service (space-to-Earth) was the basis for the consultation)

Applications for use of the band between 11.7GHZ and 12.5GHZ were requested in 2004.
ComReg 0427 Digital Television Delivery Systems at 12GHZ, Guidance Notes for Applicants
SCTV were awarded the licence in Sept 2004, the document ComReg0642 only proposes a variation to the licence to add 3 extra frequencies to the 5 centre frequencies currently licensed (and updated roll out plan)

In the US a similar group of frequencies (12.2-12.7 GHz band) are used for Multichannel Video Distribution & Data Service (MVDDS) and were auctioned off in 2004 & 2005.
At the time of the consultation there were fierce objections by DBS operators DirecTV and EchoStar to the shared use of these frequencies.

Use of this band and SCTV licence application were discussed in this forum at the time of the odtr (comreg) consultation in 2001.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=36273
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=35919

Rippy

I presume that Sky satisfied themselves that there will be no interference before agreeing to sell programming to SCTV?

bk

I don't think the channel line up compares very well against satellite:

Key
FTA = Satellite Free To Air
FTV = UK Free To View card on Satellite (easily gotten)

STARTER PACK (23 channels) €22 PER MONTH
RTE1, Aerial
RTE2, Aerial
TV3, Aerial
TG4, Aerial
BBC1, FTA
BBC2, FTA
BBC3, FTA
BBC4, FTA
CBBC, FTA
CBEEBIES, FTA
BBC NEWS 24, FTA
HTV, FTA
CH4, FTV
SETANTA SPORTS IRELAND, Pay
RACING UK, Pay
CHELSEA TV (why??), Pay
EUROSPORT 1, Pay
EUROSPORT 2, Pay
MTV1, Pay
FX1, Pay
NICK JUNIOR, Pay
MOVIES 24, Pay
SCTV LOCAL CHANNEL. Pay

And they don't include:
ITV 1, 2, 3, 4, UTV, FilmFour all FTA
C5, Sky Three FTV

So basically unless you are really into sports, you are paying €22 pm for something that you can get for free and if you really want sports, you could always get two Sky packs for €21.50 that would give you more channels.

The entertainment pack is a little better, but then for just €4.50 pm more you get all those plus hundreds more on Sky Family Pack.

You are right the PVR service and multiroom (excluding the Sky channels) is much better value then Sky. However I do think they need to put more effort into their basic line-up with less emphasis on channels already available in FTA, a more balanced line up a bit like NTL analogue, with a few quality cable only channels.

One thing I've noticed with a lot of non cable services like this and the IPTV services (Smart and Magnet) is that non of them include Sky One or the Discovery network of channels, they seem to use mostly Flextech and UKTV network channels (partly ownedby Flextech), which IMO is a real pity as my favourite channels are Sky one and Discovery.

Anyone know why this is, I can (sort of) understand Sky One asSky want to keepit to promote Sky Satellite, but I can't understand Discovery and the History channel, I don't think they are owned by Murdoch?

Mossy Monk

bk wrote:

And they don't include:
ITV 1, 2, 3, 4, UTV, FilmFour all FTA

they will be providing HTV (ITV1 Wales) which shows pretty much the exact same as ITV1 and UTV 95% of the time

bk

Mossy Monk wrote:

they will be providing HTV (ITV1 Wales) which shows pretty much the exact same as ITV1 and UTV 95% of the time

Completely irrelevant to the point that you can get more for no cost on FTA.

Westie123

Hello,

I was just looking at Rippy's post in which the the various SC packages are given. Maybe I'm not reading this correctly but for example is it the case that the entertainment pack (€26 pm) and the sky 3 pack (all sky sports €40.50 pm) will come to a total of €66.50 a month. If it is it's a bit crazy as you can get a complete sky package for €66 a month.

Would anyone have an idea of the timescale for extending the service outside of Carrigaline? I suppose it will be well into 2007.

thanks.

Ulsterman 1690

OK what with DTT (DVB-T and DVB-H) , D-SAT ($ky and multisat) , Cable, IPTV (Ethernet and DSL based) 3G and MMDS (2.6 and 10 GHz) in many cases carrying small variations of a similar channel line up) we should be asking ourselves how many digital television platforms can a country of just over four million can support ?

bk

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

OK what with DTT (DVB-T and DVB-H) , D-SAT ($ky and multisat) , Cable, IPTV (Ethernet and DSL based) 3G and MMDS (2.6 and 10 GHz) in many cases carrying small variations of a similar channel line up) we should be asking ourselves how many digital television platforms can a country of just over four million can support ?

I think this just goes to show the domination of Sky over all TV in Ireland. I assume there is little variation in price as Sky set the retail prices for their packages of Sky Sports and Movies in such a way that leaves little room for any competition.

I think it shows just how badly we need a good free DTT service in Ireland, while it has had little effect on Sports and Movies, Freeview in the UK has completely guts the legs out from the standard packages in the UK. It has gotten so bad that NTL is now offering 22 channel TV cable package for free if you sign up for their phone service (£11 pm).

If we had good DTT in Ireland, we would find much better competition in at least the base packages of cable, IPTV, MMDS, etc.

But I wouldn't hold my breadth, this is comreg we are talking about after all.

watty

Rippy wrote:

I presume that Sky satisfied themselves that there will be no interference before agreeing to sell programming to SCTV?

Perhaps. But Sky has no more or less rights to broadcast satellite here on non-interference from terrestrial than any other Satellite operator.

a bientot

And every channel being provided is limited to English........
The modern open communicative mind boggles

Zaphod

Rippy wrote:

SkY DIGITAL FREQUENCIES (from Lyngsat)

11739 mhz- Living TV, Bravo, Trouble.
11817 - UKTV Gold & 8 other UKTV
11856 - Sky Box Office
11895 - MTV, Vh1 , Vh2, Nickleodeon
11934 - Sky Box Office
11973 - Zee TV

It's potentially much more serious than knocking out a few frequencies on Astra. In Australia, their version of Ripwave (Unwired), operating around 3.4GHz, has caused major headaches for C-band satellite reception which is much more commonly used there than here. Because of the high power output of the Ripwave masts relative to satellite signals, the LNBs and/or the satellite receivers were completely overloaded across the entire C-band.
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_103235/article.html
http://www.siliconchip.com.au/cms/A_103784/article.html
http://www.vetrun.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1983

Ulsterman 1690

a bientot wrote:

And every channel being provided is limited to English........
The modern open communicative mind boggles

Last time I was in Carrigaline thats what people were speaking

I doubt if migrant workers would be interested in signing up for a pay TV platform which might have one part time channel in thier home language when they could (in most cases) recieve several FTA off Hotbird

Rippy

Rippy wrote:

SkY DIGITAL FREQUENCIES (from Lyngsat)

11739 mhz- Living TV, Bravo, Trouble.

11817 - UKTV Gold & 8 other UKTV

11856 - Sky Box Office

11895 - MTV, Vh1 , Vh2, Nickleodeon

11934 - Sky Box Office

11973 - Zee TV

I believe the feeds for EVERYTHING will be taken from astra 2.
As stated, the broadcast frequncies agreed with Comreg coincide with the downlink frequencies from satellite for many channels mentioned.
The dish and receivers are at the same site as the transmitter.
If interference is an issue the braodcast signals will knock out the incoming so it won't work!
MDS have similar systems up and running all over the world. I think (hope!) they know what they are doing.

thejuggler

Does anyone know if SCTV will be switching off their analogue relays to pursuade their customers to switch to digital?
Many people in Cork receive their signal without paying the voluntary subscription. I imagine a lot of them don't even know that it is a relay and just think they're picking it up from a UK transmitter.

watty

Rippy wrote:

I believe the feeds for EVERYTHING will be taken from astra 2.
As stated, the broadcast frequncies agreed with Comreg coincide with the downlink frequencies from satellite for many channels mentioned.
The dish and receivers are at the same site as the transmitter.
If interference is an issue the braodcast signals will knock out the incoming so it won't work!
MDS have similar systems up and running all over the world. I think (hope!) they know what they are doing.

NO.
Because the SWCT transmitters and aerials can easily be sited to avoid interference with their own reception, using larger dishes to avoid feedback. Anyone else does not have that luxury.

Besides it simply breaks European and International agreements. Spectrum use and assignment is agreed internationally. Ireland did this before unilaterally with the 2.5GHz MMDS. Now they are faced with having to figure how to get MMDS off 3.5GHz!

This creates a problem for Satellite receive users, broadcasters and ultimately Comreg, SWCT and subscribers because even if it goes ahead now it WILL be closed down as misuse of spectrum.

It would be like giving 1,000kW radar allocations on Irish Terrestrial TV channel allocations.

Zaphod

daveirl

This post has been deleted.

Antenna

thejuggler wrote:

Does anyone know if SCTV will be switching off their analogue relays to pursuade their customers to switch to digital?

For a start it would take a long time to fully cover the areas they are presently covering at UHF. It would need more transmit sites as well, not just equipping all existing ones, to cover everyone receiving South Coast analogue UHF at present. The initail rollout includes only part of their UHF coverage.
They said before that they would keep analogue going as long as possible, up until either the channels being needed for DTT, OR dwindling subscriptions forcing it off.

watty wrote:

Ireland did this before unilaterally with the 3.5GHz MMDS. Now they are faced with having to figure how to get MMDS off 3.5GHz!

Typo there, MMDS is 2.5GHz, not 3.5. What is 2.5 needed for instead?

watty

Antenna wrote:

<,snip>

Typo there, MMDS is 2.5GHz, not 3.5. What is 2.5 needed for instead?

Eircoms 3.5 FWA was in my mind...

2.5GHz is allocated EUROPE WIDE for Mobile telecom. Not TV.

watty

daveirl wrote:

This post has been deleted.

Which is illegal underterms of "deflector licence"

All the UHF deflectors lose their licences when DTT is rolled out.

Sponge Bob

watty wrote:

This creates a problem for Satellite receive users, broadcasters and ultimately Comreg, SWCT and subscribers because even if it goes ahead now it WILL be closed down as misuse of spectrum.

This MAY be designed (primarily) to get Rupert Murdoch to pay VAT in Ireland to the Irish government which is a long outstanding problem what with him collecting at least €5m a month here.......at LEAST . Two wrongs and all that eh ???

Secondly SCTV have UHF spectrum right about where Comreg wants to allocate National Bands for DVB-H (national and regional) and later for DTT ....I may be wrong about the precise bands c 700mhz ish but I suspect that this UHF spectrum is of immediate value to Comreg . And that they will get paid for it which is more than Murdoch ever did

It would be like giving 1,000kW radar allocations on Irish Terrestrial TV channel allocations.

Not quite , no tankers will run aground and no lives at stake .

watty

The Deflectors only got licences extended on basis of no DTT yet. It's down in black & white that the deflectors all lose their licences when DTT arrives. SCTV is on borrowed time regarding UHF anyway.

I'd love to see how Comreg et Al would get VAT of all the other Pay TV satellite operators selling here too, some aren't even in EU.

The principle is that in EU you pay VAT to the country of origin of the service. So if I buy off Amazon.UK or HM Satellite in Germany I pay VAT to UK or Germany.

I was thinking more of the TV picture quality than the tankers (or airplanes).

watty

Animal planet is jointly owned by Discovery and BBC.
Discovery is owned by Discovery, in whom I don't know who has interests.
Other non-Sky Bloc channels are:
National Geographic
Living and others
Hallmark
Paramount
Artsworld
Setanta
S4C (FTA and rugby)
Almost all radio

Sky owned / produced lineup is:
Sky1, 2, 3, Sky Sports, Sky Movies, Sky Boxoffice, Sky News and Music Choice
Not inspriring if you prefer to buy DVDs and don't watch football.

medja

Is artsworld not 100%owned by sky? They would be off air by now if they hadn't been rescued by Rupert.

watty

medja wrote:

Is artsworld not 100%owned by sky? They would be off air by now if they hadn't been rescued by Rupert.

Dunno actually. Not part of Sky world AFAIK, a separate sub. It could be owned by Rupert, like Fox News, which isn't part of Sky.

I think the main point is that most of what folks think of as Sky is just them collecting the money...

L1011

Been part of Sky World since the day of the EPG reshuffle, Watty.... 100% Sky owned.

watty

It's comforting that there is stuff I don't know about

Ulsterman 1690

Just because terrestrial interference proves problematic at 3.5 or 4.2 GHz doesnt mean it will be an issue at 10 GHz

On the other hand I see the adoption of 10 GHz MMDS as being contrary to the whole ethos under which SCTV was founded namely
1) Community based provision of a basic multichannel service at Low cost
2) Avoiding encryption (as it adds to costs and creates difficulties for timeshift and multiroom viewing) in favour of reliance on voluntary subscription
3) Opposition to the use of microwaves for television distributon.

If Southcoast are convinced that there is still a place for deflector services after analouge switchoff then they should have pursued a UHF DTT option and/or diversified into community broadband

medja

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

If Southcoast are convinced that there is still a place for deflector services after analouge switchoff then they should have pursued a UHF DTT option and/or diversified into community broadband

You make an excellent point, Southcoast was created to fill a need back in the 1980's. That need is now filled by a dish on the side of your house. When DTT comes along it'll replace their UHF service so there will be more than one way for most people to get UK TV services.

You can get all The BBC's and ITV's for free as well as about 20 other decent channels.

Southcoast was set up to serve commuinities that could not receive a service, now they can and for free, so Southcoast TV is pointless. However If Southcoast provided a broadband service it would get a huge amount of support from every community in Munster. It's not likely that eircom will provide a service for years to come in many small towns and villages.

But will Southcoast listen to Ulsterman 1690? I doubt it.

Sponge Bob

medja wrote:

Southcoast was set up to serve commuinities that could not receive a service, now they can and for free, so Southcoast TV is pointless.

Totally Correct, has anybody told Comreg about this FTA stuff though . I feel our regulator is entitled to be told that all the TV channels that have tradionally been deflected within Ireland are now available from a Satellite , free ......excepting only Channel 4 ????

However If Southcoast provided a broadband service it would get a huge amount of support from every community in Munster. It's not likely that eircom will provide a service for years to come in many small towns and villages.

This was a very valid point in the years between 1996 and 2001 . They never bothered to leverage their infrastructure and have been bypassed by dedicated WISPs who have gone on to do exactly what you said.

The likes of Digiweb Permanet Digital Forge NovaNetworks and Amocom (and Amocoms myriad franchisees) have not only eaten their BB lunch but are freshening up their palates for yet another round of rollouts and speed upgraders.

Zaphod

Ulsterman 1690 wrote:

Just because terrestrial interference proves problematic at 3.5 or 4.2 GHz doesnt mean it will be an issue at 10 GHz

According to an FCC commissioned report:

The analysis and testing performed by MITRE and described elsewhere in this report have demonstrated that:
• MVDDS sharing of the 12.2–12.7 GHz band currently reserved for DBS poses a significant interference threat to DBS operation in many realistic operational situations.
• However, a wide variety of mitigation techniques exists that, if properly applied under appropriate circumstances, can greatly reduce, or eliminate, the geographical extent of the regions of potential MVDDS interference impact upon DBS.
• MVDDS/DBS bandsharing appears feasible if and only if suitable mitigation
measures are applied. Different combinations of measures are likely to prove “best” for different locales and situations.

The question remains: do the potential costs of applying the necessary mitigatory measures, together with the impact of the residual MVDDS-to-DBS interference that might remain after applying such measures, outweigh the benefits that would accrue from allowing MVDDS to coexist with DBS in this band?

Report summary:
http://www.sbca.com/Exec%20summary%20from%20MITRE.pdf
Full 201 page report:
http://www.fcc.gov/oet/info/mitrereport/mitrereport_4_01.pdf

watty

In the end they are using dodgy technolgy to duplicate everything except C4. And the whole network makes even less sense when DTT starts before 2012, which to be viable will have C4.

Also C4 could be FTA by 2008.

Never mind the technology, the business plan doesn't make sense.