Dish Trialing Mobile TV service on 700MHz Block E

[bigsnake49]

Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) said it is currently broadcasting eight channels of mobile video in 13 locations across the country, and is considering expanding that effort to a total of 40 markets in the United States. The offering is not commercially available, but represents Dish's continued experimentation with the 700 MHz E Block licenses the company won during the FCC's 2008 spectrum auction.

According to filings with the FCC, Dish's Manifest Wireless subsidiary is testing an Advanced Television Systems Committee--Mobile/Handheld (ATSC M/H) mobile video broadcast network in locations including Atlanta; Birmingham, Ala.; Jacksonville, Fla.; and Pittsburgh. In some cases, the network covers the entire city. Dish is using Pericle Communications Company to test the performance of the network.

Dish said it "has been actively exploring sites and site leases beyond the current test sites, and has a tentative agreement for access to additional broadcast sites in roughly 40 markets across the U.S." The company said the results of its current tests will "inform decisions going forward as to when additional sites will be activated for mobile broadcast video services."

Read more: Dish considers expanding 700 MHz mobile TV service to 40 markets - FierceWireless http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/dish-considers-expanding-700-mhz-mobile-tv-service-40-markets

 

[jroepcke51]

I am thankful this is not Sprint's future.  This would have been awful.

[digiblur]

This is awesome! It will work out just like MediaFLO did.

[WiWavelength]

This is awesome! It will work out just like MediaFLO did.

 

Oddly enough, the timing might be right this time.  Before the rise of the smartphone, the common people did not see the point of watching video on their tiny cellphone screens.  They also did not see the point of mobile data -- oh, how I miss those days.

 

AJ

[digiblur]

Oddly enough, the timing might be right this time.  Before the rise of the smartphone, the common people did not see the point of watching video on their tiny cellphone screens.  They also did not see the point of mobile data -- oh, how I miss those days.

 

AJ

 

Most people only like to watch short videos on their phone not an entire 30 minute program.  I hear there is this YouTube thing fits that pretty well and also offers people to watch exactly what they want.  Do you know anything about this YouTube thing they speak of?

[bigsnake49]

I don't mind watching something a bit longer on my iPad. Not on my phone though.

[bigsnake49]

There is no reason for a new high power broadcasting network and new hardware on devices. There are multicast protocols available.

[WiWavelength]

Most people only like to watch short videos on their phone not an entire 30 minute program.  I hear there is this YouTube thing fits that pretty well and also offers people to watch exactly what they want.  Do you know anything about this YouTube thing they speak of?

 

Is it a "series of tubes"?

 

AJ

[Thomas L.]

I don't get the point of this really... IIRC the majority of regular broadcast stations are upgrading or have upgraded their equipment to broadcast ATSC-H/M signals. What are the chances enough people would pay extra for more channels to watch on their phone to make it worth the cost of a new network?

 

Where does Dish own 700mhz licenses, and why wouldn't they use that to deploy LTE or something?

 

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

[milan03]

This is really Charlie asking AT&T to hurry up and start bidding for his E block licenses. It's all bluffing imho. Nothing more. We all know by now how Charlie rolls...

[Deval]

This is awesome! It will work out just like MediaFLO did.

Came to this thread to post about MediaFLO, was not disappointed.

[RCM]

http://www.rabbitears.info/blog/index.php?post/2013/05/15/Echostar-Expands-Channel-56

 

[WiWavelength]

Where does Dish own 700mhz licenses, and why wouldn't they use that to deploy LTE or something?

 

If my memory serves me correctly -- and it usually does -- everywhere but five markets:  New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston.

 

But those Lower 700 MHz E block 6 MHz unpaired licenses are, well, *unpaired*.  And there is no current business case for TD-LTE nor for downlink carrier aggregation without an existing LTE network.

 

AJ

[lilg740]

This is awesome! It will work out just like MediaFLO did.

I remember my old LG VU and its TV antenna....lol

[Jeffas332]

Southwest Airlines is now offering free limited Dish Network programming via their in-flight Wi-Fi.

 

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323297504578579832375567730.html

[bigsnake49]

If my memory serves me correctly -- and it usually does -- everywhere but five markets:  New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston.

 

But those Lower 700 MHz E block 6 MHz unpaired licenses are, well, *unpaired*.  And there is no current business case for TD-LTE nor for downlink carrier aggregation without an existing LTE network.

 

AJ

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait for just a moment!!!! You need an LTE network already to utilize 700MHz block E? Holy chyte!!!

 

Seriously though, can AT&T buy it and aggregate with their own unpaired D block? The more I look at Dish's spectrum holdings, the more I think that AT&T should buy them from Dish. Then AT&T does not need to participate in the 600Mhz auction. 

[maximus1987/lou99]

There is no reason for a new high power broadcasting network and new hardware on devices. There are multicast protocols available.

 

It's called LTE broadcast. If a bunch of people, in a sector, are watching the same thing the network notices this and automatically consolidates those streams into one stream.

[maximus1987/lou99]

I don't get the point of this really... IIRC the majority of regular broadcast stations are upgrading or have upgraded their equipment to broadcast ATSC-H/M signals. What are the chances enough people would pay extra for more channels to watch on their phone to make it worth the cost of a new network?

 

Where does Dish own 700mhz licenses, and why wouldn't they use that to deploy LTE or something?

 

 

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Xparent ICS Blue Tapatalk 2

 

These are all downlink-only: the D, E blocks that are each 5 MHz.

ATT is using them for supplemental downlink

 

"The acquisition included 12 MHz of Lower D and E Block spectrum covering more than 70 million POPs in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles and San Francisco and 6 MHz of Lower D Block spectrum covering 230 million POPs across much of the rest of the country."

 

Read more: AT&T: Carrier aggregation woes slow launch of ex-Qualcomm 700 MHz spectrum - FierceBroadbandWireless http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/att-carrier-aggregation-woes-slow-launch-ex-qualcomm-700-mhz-spectrum/2013-06-26#ixzz2YCIT2tP5 

Subscribe at FierceBroadbandWireless

 

And assuming ATT's and Dish's licenses are complementary, Dish owns 12 MHz covering 230 million and 6 MHz covering 70 million

[maximus1987/lou99]

The more I look at Dish's spectrum holdings, the more I think that AT&T should buy them from Dish. Then AT&T does not need to participate in the 600Mhz auction. 

 

Actually, Tmobile wants ATT to have 600 MHz for that whole economy of scale thing.

[maximus1987/lou99]

 

 

If my memory serves me correctly -- and it usually does -- everywhere but five markets: New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Philadelphia, Boston.

 

But those Lower 700 MHz E block 6 MHz unpaired licenses are, well, *unpaired*. And there is no current business case for TD-LTE nor for downlink carrier aggregation without an existing LTE network.

 

AJ

 

 

Wait, wait, wait, wait for just a moment!!!! You need an LTE network already to utilize 700MHz block E? Holy chyte!!!

 

Seriously though, can AT&T buy it and aggregate with their own unpaired D block? The more I look at Dish's spectrum holdings, the more I think that AT&T should buy them from Dish. Then AT&T does not need to participate in the 600Mhz auction.

ATT might need the 600 MHz far more than Verizon cause its WCS is years away and it doesn't have any band that's free and available nationwide.

Verizon at least has loads of AWS and if they'd densify their network, they'd be sitting pretty.

 

But their 700 MHz network has shown that, as someone else has stated, they're only going to put AWS on current 700 towers.

[Nickel]

ATT might need the 600 MHz far more than Verizon cause its WCS is years away and it doesn't have any band that's free and available nationwide.

Verizon at least has loads of AWS and if they'd densify their network, they'd be sitting pretty.

 

But their 700 MHz network has shown that, as someone else has stated, they're only going to put AWS on current 700 towers.

The WCS band, last I heard, is expected to be released by the 3gpp this fall while unless things have changed they haven't even decided how their going to use 600 MHz and even when all that is finished they still have to wait for TV stations to voluntarily give up that spectrum. 

 

What I'm trying to say is, I would expect to see WCS before 600 MHz.

[maximus1987/lou99]

 

 

ATT might need the 600 MHz far more than Verizon cause its WCS is years away and it doesn't have any band that's free and available nationwide.

 

Verizon at least has loads of AWS and if they'd densify their network, they'd be sitting pretty.

 

 

But their 700 MHz network has shown that, as someone else has stated, they're only going to put AWS on current 700 towers.

 

 

The WCS band, last I heard, is expected to be released by the 3gpp this fall while unless things have changed they haven't even decided how their going to use 600 MHz and even when all that is finished they still have to wait for TV stations to voluntarily give up that spectrum.

 

What I'm trying to say is, I would expect to see WCS before 600 MHz.

Do you have the article for WCS?

[Nickel]

Do you have the article for WCS?

I wish I did, I based that off what Neal (Det_Conan_Kudo) said in a twitter conservation.

 

I could dig up the tweet but that seems a little silly, especially since he posts here.

[WiWavelength]

ATT might need the 600 MHz far more than Verizon cause its WCS is years away...

What I'm trying to say is, I would expect to see WCS before 600 MHz.

 

Yes, WCS is much closer to commercial realization than is 600 MHz.  WCS could start showing up as early as next year, while 600 MHz is at least three years distant -- if ever.

 

AJ

[Conan Kudo]

Yes, WCS is much closer to commercial realization than is 600 MHz.  WCS could start showing up as early as next year, while 600 MHz is at least three years distant -- if ever.

 

AJ

According to the 3GPP, the work item for WCS has been completed, as of June 11. The final draft documents for the band spec were released on June 20. It is expected to be formally included as Band 30 on July 14. Once it is released, AT&T will begin modifying its RFPs and RFQs to vendors for 2014 deployments to include WCS. Handsets released by mid-2014 (summer launch), should include WCS.

 

There are still rumors that AT&T will drop AWS for WCS, but it may not happen now, because of Canada and Latin America. AWS has become so important as a band that AT&T cannot afford to drop it now. Sprint is the only stick-in-the-mud, but it'll be forced to include it too, at some point.